Economic Indicators

Building Approvals

A breakdown of building work approved within Australia over the last month.

Construction cranes in Elizabeth Quay.

This note provides a breakdown of the building work that has been approved within Australia for the referenced month, with a particular focus on residential buildings. This data is an important leading indicator for future construction activity.

  • 01 Sep 2026 Building Approvals July 2026

    Dwelling approvals declined by a seasonally adjusted 3.6% in July, slightly less than the 5.0% fall expected by market participants. The decline in approvals was broad-based, led by private sector house approvals.

  • 30 Jul 2026 Building Approvals June 2026

    Dwelling approvals rose by a seasonally adjusted 7.2% in June, well ahead of market expectations for a 0.5% decline, following a revised 1.6% fall in May (originally -1.1%).

  • 01 Jul 2026 Building Approvals May 2026

    Dwelling approvals fell by a seasonally adjusted 1.1% in May, against expectations of a flat result; this followed a 0.2% decline in April. In contrast to the previous month, the fall in dwelling approvals was due to a 10.4% drop in dwellings other than houses, while private sector house approvals picked up by 2.8% after a slight decline in April.

  • 02 Jun 2026 Building Approvals April 2026

    Dwelling approvals fell a seasonally adjusted 3.4% in April, steeper than the market expectation for a 1.6% fall, following a 10.5% decline in March. Despite the back-to-back declines, approvals were 10.2% higher than in April 2025.

  • 04 May 2026 Building Approvals March 2026

    Dwelling approvals dropped by a seasonally adjusted 10.5% in March, broadly in line with market expectations (-10.0%). This followed an upwardly revised surge of 31.0% in February (originally: +29.7%).

  • 01 Apr 2026 Building Approvals February 2026

    Dwelling approvals surged a seasonally adjusted 29.7% in February, significantly more than the 5.5% increase pencilled in by the market consensus. The surge in seasonally adjusted approvals was mainly due to consents for the building of dwellings other than houses doubling over the month.

Load more resources