Net mortgage approvals for UK house purchases fell to 56,205 in May 2026, down from a revised 66,034 in April and below market expectations of 62,900. This marked the lowest level since December 2023 and well under the six-month average of 63,300, as rising mortgage rates and weakened consumer confidence, exacerbated by the Iran war, have dampened house prices and buyer demand. Remortgaging approvals also dropped sharply to 33,300 in May, from 51,200 in April. The effective interest rate on newly drawn mortgages rose to 4.22% in May, up from 4.08% in April, while the rate on outstanding mortgages remained steady at 3.92%. source: Bank of England

Mortgage Approvals in the United Kingdom decreased to 56.21 Thousand in May from 66.03 Thousand in April of 2026. Mortgage Approvals in the United Kingdom averaged 80.77 Thousand from 1986 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 151.80 Thousand in May of 1988 and a record low of 9.37 Thousand in May of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Mortgage Approvals - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United Kingdom Mortgage Approvals - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.

Mortgage Approvals in the United Kingdom decreased to 56.21 Thousand in May from 66.03 Thousand in April of 2026. Mortgage Approvals in the United Kingdom is expected to be 64.40 Thousand by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Mortgage Approvals is projected to trend around 67.00 Thousand in 2027 and 69.00 Thousand in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-06-02 08:30 AM
Mortgage Approvals
Apr 65.94K 63.98K 61.7K 62.0K
2026-06-29 08:30 AM
Mortgage Approvals
May 56.21K 66.03K 62.9K 65.4K
2026-07-29 08:30 AM
Mortgage Approvals
Jun 56.21K 64.4K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average House Prices 299330.00 298812.00 GBP Jun 2026
Construction Orders YoY -11.90 28.10 percent Mar 2026
Construction Output YoY -1.80 -1.60 percent May 2026
Mortgage Lending 2889.00 4439.00 GBP Million May 2026
Home Ownership Rate 64.50 64.70 percent Dec 2023
Lloyds House Price Index MoM 0.20 -0.20 percent Jun 2026
Lloyds House Price Index YoY 0.60 0.50 percent Jun 2026
Housing Index 516.20 515.30 points Jun 2026
Housing Starts 33960.00 37230.00 units Mar 2026
Mortgage Approvals 56.21 66.03 Thousand May 2026
BBA Mortgage Rate 6.60 6.60 percent Jun 2026
Nationwide Housing Prices 553.60 554.60 points Jun 2026
Nationwide Housing Prices MoM 0.00 -0.60 percent Jun 2026
Nationwide Housing Prices YoY 2.20 1.70 percent Jun 2026
Price to Rent Ratio 110.71 111.09 Dec 2025
Private Rental Prices YoY 3.30 3.50 percent May 2026
Residential Property Prices 0.88 2.27 Percent Mar 2026
RICS House Price Balance -33.00 -34.00 percent Jun 2026


United Kingdom Mortgage Approvals
Mortgage approvals for house purchase refers to the firm offers of lenders to advance credit secured on specific dwellings to their customers. It covers approvals that are fully secured on residential property by a first mortgage. It includes existing borrowers transferring their existing mortgage to another property, lending to first-time purchasers and lending for buy-to-let purposes.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
56.21 66.03 151.80 9.37 1986 - 2026 Thousand Monthly

News Stream
UK Mortgage Approvals Plunge to Over Two-Year Low
Net mortgage approvals for UK house purchases fell to 56,205 in May 2026, down from a revised 66,034 in April and below market expectations of 62,900. This marked the lowest level since December 2023 and well under the six-month average of 63,300, as rising mortgage rates and weakened consumer confidence, exacerbated by the Iran war, have dampened house prices and buyer demand. Remortgaging approvals also dropped sharply to 33,300 in May, from 51,200 in April. The effective interest rate on newly drawn mortgages rose to 4.22% in May, up from 4.08% in April, while the rate on outstanding mortgages remained steady at 3.92%.
2026-06-29
UK Mortgage Approvals Rise to 15-Month High
Net mortgage approvals for house purchases in the UK increased to 65,900 in April 2026 from 64,000 in March, above market expectations of 61,700 and marking the highest level since January 2025. Approvals for remortgaging, which only capture remortgaging with a different lender, were broadly unchanged when compared to March. The ‘effective’ interest rate on newly drawn mortgages increased to 4.08% in April from 4.03% in the previous month. The rate on the outstanding stock of mortgages was 3.92% in April, down from 3.93% in March.
2026-06-02
UK Mortgage Approvals Rise More than Expected
Net mortgage approvals for house purchases in the UK rose to 63,531 in March 2026, up from a revised 62,708 in February and surpassing market expectations of 60,000. This marked the highest level since November 2025, exceeding the six-month average of around 63,200, supported by declining borrowing costs. Remortgaging approvals, which only account for switches to a different lender, also climbed to 51,300 in March from 41,200 in February. The effective interest rate on newly drawn mortgages fell to 4.03% in March from 4.10% in February, while the rate on the outstanding stock of mortgages edged down to 3.93% from 3.95%.
2026-05-01