The average price of Australian residential property has risen over the past ten years, and in September 2024, it reached a new high of 985,900 Australian dollars. Nonetheless, property experts in Australia have indicated that the country has been in a property bubble over the past decade, with some believing the market will collapse sometime in the near future. Property prices started declining in 2022; however, a gradual upward trend was witnessed throughout 2023 and 2024. Australian capital city price differences While the national average residential property price has exhibited growth, individual capital cities display diverse trends, highlighting the complexity of Australia’s property market. Sydney maintains its position as the most expensive residential property market across Australia's capital cities, with a median property value of approximately 1.19 million Australian dollars as of December 2024. Brisbane has emerged as an increasingly pricey capital city for residential property, surpassing both Canberra and Melbourne in median housing values. Notably, Perth experienced the most significant annual increase in its average residential property value, with a 19.1 percent increase from December 2023, despite being a comparably more affordable market. Hobart and Darwin remain the most affordable capital cities for residential properties in the country. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? The rise in property values coincides with the expansion of Australia's housing stock. In the September quarter of 2024, the number of residential dwellings reached around 11.25 million, representing an increase of about 53,100 dwellings from the previous quarter. However, this growth in housing supply does not necessarily translate to increased affordability or accessibility for many Australians. The country’s house prices remain largely disproportional to income, leaving the majority of low and middle-income earners priced out of the market. Alongside this, hikes in mortgage interest rates have made taking out a loan increasingly unappealing for many potential property owners, and the share of mortgage holders at risk of mortgage repayment stress has continued to climb.

Key information about House Prices Growth

• Australia house prices grew 6.6% YoY in Sep 2024, following an increase of 6.7% YoY in the previous quarter.
• YoY growth data is updated quarterly, available from Sep 2004 to Sep 2024, with an average growth rate of 6.0%.
• House price data reached an all-time high of 24.1% in Dec 2021 and a record low of -6.1% in Mar 2019.

CEIC calculates quarterly House Price Index Growth from quarterly Residential Dwellings: Mean Price of Eight Capital Cities. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides Residential Dwellings: Mean Price of Eight Capital Cities in local currency. House Price Index Growth prior to Q3 2012 is calculated from Residential Property Price Index: Weighted Average of Eight Capital Cities.

The house price-to-income ratio in Australia was 122.1 as of the third quarter of 2024. This ratio, calculated by dividing nominal house prices by nominal disposable income per head, increased from the previous quarter. The price-to-income ratio can be used to measure housing affordability in a specific area. Australia's property bubble There has been considerable debate over the past decade about whether Australia is in a property bubble or not. A property bubble refers to a sharp increase in the price of property that is disproportional to income and rental prices, followed by a decline. In Australia, rising house prices have undoubtedly been an issue for many potential homeowners, pricing them out of the market. Along with the average house price, high mortgage interest rates have exacerbated the issue. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? Housing affordability has varied across the different states and territories in Australia. In 2024, the median value of residential houses was the highest in Sydney compared to other major Australian cities, with Brisbane becoming an increasingly expensive city. Nonetheless, expected interest rate cuts in 2025, alongside the expansion of initiatives to improve Australia's dwelling stock, social housing supply, and first-time buyer accessibility to properties, may start to improve the situation. These encompass initiatives such as the Australian government's Help to Buy scheme and the Housing Australia Future Fund Facility (HAFFF) and National Housing Accord Facility (NHAF) programs.

Sydney had the highest median house value compared to other capital cities in Australia as of December 2024, with a value of over 1.47 million Australian dollars. Brisbane similarly had relatively high average residential housing values, passing Canberra and Melbourne to top the pricing markets for real estate across the country alongside Sydney. Housing affordability in Australia Throughout 2024, the average price of residential dwellings recovered across Australia, with most capital cities breaking price records despite interest rate hikes. Rising house prices continue to be an issue for potential homeowners, with many low and middle-income earners priced out of the market. In the third quarter of 2024, Australia’s house price-to-income ratio reached new heights at 122.1 index points. With the share of household income spent on mortgage repayments increasing alongside the disparity in supply and demand, inflating construction costs, and low borrowing capacity, the homeownership dream has become an unattainable prospect for the average person in Australia. Does the rental market offer better prospects? Renting for prolonged periods has become inevitable for many Australians due to the country’s largely inaccessible property ladder. However, record low vacancy rates and rising median weekly house and unit rent prices within Australia’s rental market are making renting a less appealing prospect. In financial year 2024, households in the Greater Sydney metropolitan area reported spending around 30 percent of their household income on rent.

The Outlook of the Australian Commercial Property Market Report is Segmented by Type (office, Retail, Industrial and Logistics, Hospitality, and Other Types) and by Key Cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, and Perth). The Report Offers Market Sizes and Forecasts in Value (USD) for all the Above Segments.

Portugal, Canada, and the United States were the countries with the highest house price to income ratio in 2023. In all three countries, the index exceeded 130 index points, while the average for all OECD countries stood at 117.5 index points. The index measures the development of housing affordability and is calculated by dividing nominal house price by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. An index value of 120, for example, would mean that house price growth has outpaced income growth by 20 percent since 2015. How have house prices worldwide changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? House prices started to rise gradually after the global financial crisis (2007–2008), but this trend accelerated with the pandemic. The countries with advanced economies, which usually have mature housing markets, experienced stronger growth than countries with emerging economies. Real house price growth (accounting for inflation) peaked in 2022 and has since lost some of the gain. Although, many countries experienced a decline in house prices, the global house price index shows that property prices in 2023 were still substantially higher than before COVID-19. Renting vs. buying In the past, house prices have grown faster than rents. However, the home affordability has been declining notably, with a direct impact on rental prices. As people struggle to buy a property of their own, they often turn to rental accommodation. This has resulted in a growing demand for rental apartments and soaring rental prices.

In the third quarter of 2024, the house price-to-rent ratio in Australia was estimated at 130.4, marking a decrease from the same quarter of the previous year. An indicator of how strong the property market is, the house price-to-rent ratio was calculated by dividing nominal house prices by rent price indices. After reaching a peak in 2017, the price-to-rent ratio decreased each quarter until the third quarter of 2019. From then on, the house price-to-rent ratio continued to increase, reaching a high in the first quarter of 2022. Since the second quarter of 2022, the house price-to-rent ratio has started to trend downward. Is Australia in a property bubble? Many industry experts believe the country is in a property bubble, indicated by the rapid increase in Australian property market prices to the point that they are no longer relative to incomes and rents, followed by a decline. The house price-to-income ratio has been on an upward trend over the past two years, hitting 122.1 in the third quarter of 2024. Rental property demand In December 2024, the rental vacancy rate, which indicates how many properties are available for rent out of all the rental stock, was relatively high in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney. That year, the average weekly rent prices varied across the country depending on the city, with the highest average weekly rents for houses and units in Sydney and Canberra. Hobart, on the other hand, had the most affordable rental properties across Australia's capital cities.

As of September 2024, the average rental yield of houses in Sydney, New South Wales, was 2.98 percent. In Darwin, the rental yield for houses measured 6.27 percent, which was the highest across all Australian capital cities during that quarter.

The rent price index in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 120.7, marking an increase from the same quarter of the previous year. Rent prices had decreased in 2020; in Melbourne and Sydney, this was mainly attributed to the absence of international students during the coronavirus outbreak. The current state of the rental market in Australia The rental market in Australia has been marked by varying conditions across different regions. Among the capital cities, Sydney and Melbourne have long been recognized for having some of the highest average rents. As of September 2024, the average weekly rent for a house in Sydney was 775 Australian dollars, which was the highest average rent across all major cities in Australia that year. Furthermore, due to factors like population growth and housing demand, regional areas have also seen noticeable increases in rental prices. For instance, households in the non-metropolitan area of New South Wales’s expenditure on rent was around 30 percent of their household income in the year ending June 2024. Housing affordability in Australia Housing affordability remains a significant challenge in Australia, contributing to a trend where many individuals and families rent for prolonged periods. The underlying cause of this issue is the ongoing disparity between household wages and housing costs, especially in large cities. While renting offers several advantages, it is worth noting that the associated costs may not always align with the expectation of affordability. Approximately one-third of participants in a survey conducted in 2023 stated that they pay between 16 and 30 percent of their monthly income on rent. Recent government initiatives such as the 2024 Help to Buy scheme aim to make it easier for people across Australia to get onto the property ladder. Still, the multifaceted nature of Australia’s housing affordability problem requires continued efforts to strike a balance between market dynamics and the need for accessible housing options for Australians.

The Market for Modular Construction in Australia Report is Segmented by Material Type (Concrete, Glass, Metal, Timber, and Other Material Types) and Application (Residential, Commercial, and Other Applications (Infrastructure and Industrial)). The Report Offers Market Sizes and Forecasts in Value Terms (USD) for all the Above Segments.

Mortgage Rate in Australia increased to 6.15 percent in January from 6.13 percent in December of 2024. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for Australia Mortgage Rate.

Rent Inflation in Australia decreased to 6.40 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 6.70 percent in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for Australia Rent Inflation.

In 2024, one square meter of greenfield land cost an average of 1,617 Australian dollars in Sydney, marking an increase of over 100 Australian dollars from the previous year. Sydney has one of the highest land price rates for greenfield development in Australia.

Approximately 220,560 new homes were forecast to be built in Australia in the 2029 fiscal year. This was higher than the number of new homes built in Australia as of financial year 2023, which was over 173,970.