Economic Indicators

Building Approvals

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

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.

  • 30 Aug 2023 Building Approvals July 2023

    Dwelling approvals fell a seasonally adjusted 8.1% in July (exp. -0.5%), following a 7.9% fall in June, and are down 10.6% YoY.

  • 01 Aug 2023 Building Approvals June 2023

    Dwelling approvals fell a seasonally adjusted 7.7% in June, following a 20.5% increase May.

  • 03 Jul 2023 Building Approvals May 2023

    Dwelling approvals jumped a seasonally adjusted 20.6% in May (exp. 3.0%), following a revised 6.8% fall in April (originally -8.1%). The annual rate of decline in dwelling approvals slowed to 9.8% from 18.7% in April.

  • 30 May 2023 Building Approvals April 2023

    Dwelling approvals dropped a seasonally adjusted 8.1% in April. The decline came against the market expectations of a 2.2% gain. Dwelling approvals are now down 24.1% through the year and at the lowest level since January 2012.

  • 08 May 2023 Building Approvals March 2023

    Dwelling approvals ebbed a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in March, against market expectations of a 3.0% gain. The decline in dwelling approvals in March was driven by private sector houses, which saw a 2.8% drop. Western Australia registered the strongest gain (+27.2%), albeit from a decade-long low reached in February.

  • 03 Apr 2023 Building Approvals February 2023

    Dwelling approvals rose a seasonally adjusted 4.0% in February, undershooting the 10.0% expected by the markets after a revised 27.1% fall in January.

  • 01 Mar 2023 Building Approvals - January 2023

    Dwelling approvals dropped a seasonally adjusted 27.6% in January, which was more than the 9.2% expected by the markets. This followed a downwardly revised 15.3% rise in December.

  • 02 Feb 2023 Building Approvals - December 2022

    Dwelling approvals surged a seasonally adjusted 18.5% in December, against the market expectations of a 1.0% gain. The December surge in building permits was driven by dwellings other than houses, which bounced 56.6% after a 21.8% drop in the previous month (revised from 22.7%). Private housing approvals declined by 2.3%.

  • 09 Jan 2023 Building Approvals - November 2022

    Dwelling approvals fell a seasonally adjusted 9.0% in November following a 5.6% drop in October to be down 15.1% YoY.

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