Australia's seasonally adjusted dwelling approvals fell 1.1% month-on-month to a four-month low of 17,019 units in May 2026, following a revised 0.2% decline in the previous month and in line with preliminary estimates. The weakness was driven by a sharp drop in approvals for private sector dwellings excluding houses, which slumped 10.4% after rising 4.0% in the previous month. By contrast, approvals for private sector houses rebounded 2.8%, reversing April's 0.4% decline. Across the states, approvals decreased in Victoria (-3.0%), Queensland (-8.8%), and Western Australia (-1.3%), while increasing in New South Wales (2.2%), South Australia (10.9%), and Tasmania (4.8%). Compared with a year earlier, total dwelling approvals rose 5.3%, easing sharply from April's 10.9% surge. source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Building Permits MoM in Australia decreased to -1.10 percent in May from -0.20 percent in April of 2026. Building Permits MoM in Australia averaged 0.43 percent from 1983 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 44.40 percent in February of 2026 and a record low of -26.90 percent in January of 2023. This page includes a chart with historical data for Australia Dwelling Approvals MoM. Australia Building Permits MoM - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.

Building Permits MoM in Australia decreased to -1.10 percent in May from -0.20 percent in April of 2026. Building Permits MoM in Australia is expected to be 0.40 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Australia Building Permits MoM is projected to trend around 0.60 percent in 2027 and 0.50 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-07-01 01:30 AM
Building Permits MoM Prel
May -1.1% -0.2% 1% 1.5%
2026-07-08 01:30 AM
Building Permits MoM Final
May -1.1% -0.2% -1.1% -1.1%
2026-07-30 01:30 AM
Building Permits MoM Prel
Jun -1.1%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average House Prices 1111.10 1088.80 AUD Thousand Mar 2026
Building Permits 17019.00 17207.00 Units May 2026
Building Permits MoM -1.10 -0.20 percent May 2026
Building Permits YoY 5.30 10.90 percent May 2026
Construction Work Done 3.40 0.20 percent Mar 2026
Cotality Dwelling Prices MoM -0.40 0.00 percent Jun 2026
Home Loans MoM 65315.00 59064.90 AUD Million Dec 2025
Home Ownership Rate 66.00 66.20 percent Dec 2020
Investment Lending for Homes 41537.60 42822.10 AUD Million Mar 2026
Mortgage Rate 6.20 5.98 Percent May 2026
Private House Approvals MoM 2.80 -0.40 percent May 2026
Residential Property Prices 9.99 8.09 Percent Mar 2026


Australia Building Permits MoM
In Australia, Dwelling Approvals MoM show the monthly change in the number of total dwelling units approved, including building activity carried out on existing buildings.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-1.10 -0.20 44.40 -26.90 1983 - 2026 percent Monthly
SA

News Stream
Australia Confirms Steeper Decline in Building Permits
Australia's seasonally adjusted dwelling approvals fell 1.1% month-on-month to a four-month low of 17,019 units in May 2026, following a 0.2% decline in the previous month and in line with preliminary estimates. The weakness was driven by a sharp drop in approvals for private sector dwellings excluding houses, which slumped 10.4% after rising 4.0% in the previous month. By contrast, approvals for private sector houses rebounded 2.8%, reversing April's 0.4% decline. Across the states, approvals decreased in Victoria (-3.0%), Queensland (-8.8%), and Western Australia (-1.3%), while increasing in New South Wales (2.2%), South Australia (10.9%), and Tasmania (4.8%). Compared with a year earlier, total dwelling approvals rose 5.3%, easing sharply from April's 10.9% surge.
2026-07-08
Australia Building Permits Fall More Than Expected
Australia’s seasonally adjusted dwelling approvals fell 1.1% month-on-month to a four-month low of 17,019 units in May 2026, following a 0.2% decline in the previous month and coming in slightly weaker than market expectations for a 1.0% drop, according to preliminary data. The decline was driven by a sharp fall in approvals for private sector dwellings excluding houses (-10.4% vs 4.0% in April), while permits for private sector houses rebounded 2.8%, reversing the previous month's 0.4% decline. Across the states, approvals decreased in Victoria (-3.0%), Queensland (-8.8%), and Western Australia (-1.3%), but increased in New South Wales (2.2%), South Australia (10.9%), and Tasmania (4.8%). On an annual basis, total dwelling approvals were 5.3% higher than a year earlier, though the pace of growth eased from 10.9% in April.
2026-07-01
Australia Building Permits Fall 3.4% in April
The seasonally adjusted number of total dwellings approved in Australia fell by 3.4% month-on-month to 16,710 units in April 2026, confirming preliminary estimates and easing from a sharp 10.5% decline in the previous month. Approvals for private sector dwellings excluding houses declined at a much slower pace (-3.6% vs -25.7% in March), while permits for private sector houses fell 1.0%, reversing a 0.5% increase in March. By region, approvals dropped in New South Wales (-9.5%), Victoria (-3.9%), and Western Australia (-7.4%), but rose in Queensland (0.3%), South Australia (4.3%), and Tasmania (42.2%). Despite the monthly setback, total dwelling approvals were 10.2% higher than a year earlier, accelerating from a 9.3% annual increase in March and pointing to underlying resilience in residential construction demand.
2026-06-10