FX.co ★ Australia Q3 Housing Lending Hits 5-Quarter Low

The value of new owner-occupier housing loan commitments in Australia fell by 5.3% quarter-on-quarter to AUD 56.45 billion in Q3 2026, the lowest level in five quarters and a sharper decline than the marginally revised 2.0% drop recorded in the previous quarter. Demand from first-home buyers weakened further (-8.0% vs -5.4% in Q2), while lending to non-first-home buyers also contracted more quickly (-3.5% vs -2.7%). On an annual basis, owner-occupier lending was down 4.6%. Meanwhile, the value of investor housing loans slumped 32.3% to AUD 24.71 billion, the lowest level in three years and a much steeper fall than the 11.2% decline posted in Q2. Year-on-year, investment lending values plunged 38.1%.