Private house approvals in Australia increased by 2.8% month-over-month to 10,537 in May 2026, according to preliminary estimates. This marked a rebound from a revised 0.4% decline in April and the highest level since September 2025. The rise was led by strong gains in Western Australia (9.9%), New South Wales (7.8%), and Victoria (2.2%), which more than offset declines in Queensland (-3.6%) and South Australia (-1.0%).
On an annual basis, private house approvals rose 13.2% in May, the fastest pace since September 2024 and an acceleration from the upwardly revised 8.3% growth recorded in the previous month.
