Average Australian mortgage statistics

Here's what the average Australian home loan looks like, plus detailed mortgage statistics for every state, territory and borrower type.

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By

Graham Cooke

Updated

Fact checked

The total value of owner-occupier home loans written in Australia for the first quarter of 2026 amounted to $55.68 billion. As of March 2026, the average home loan in Australia was $734,878, showing a 0.2% decline compared to the previous quarter and a 25.3% increase when compared to the same time last year. For first-time home buyers, the average loan amount drops to $614,048, reflecting a 1.1% increase compared to the previous quarter and a 26.7% increase when compared to the same month of the previous year.

The average investor home loan stood at $709,083, marking a 1.1% decrease over the quarter and showing a solid 18.4% increase over the year. Meanwhile, the average refinancing home loan amounted to $546,136, signifying a notable 2.0% decrease over the month and a substantial 16.5% increase over the year. Further statistics can be found in the visualisation below.

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Our expert says

"Inflation rose in the June quarter but it was in line with RBA's own forecasts heading off the need for another rate hike. At the same time inflation is still too high and the RBA still lacks confidence that it will sustainably head back to target so it's too early to expect a cut."

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Chief Economist, AMP - responding to Finder's RBA Cash Rate Survey

Surging home loan sizes across Australian states

Over the past decade, the average sizes of home loans in all states have shown significant increases. ACT takes the lead with over 100% increase, doubling the average home loan size. South Australia and Tasmania follow closely increasing around 90%, while Queensland increased around 80% in the size of home loans over the same period.

Growing preference for external lenders

In 2019, slightly more than half of refinancers, accounting for 52%, were external refinancers, indicating that they sought new loans from lenders other than their current one. Fast forward to 2023, the landscape has evolved significantly, with nearly three-quarters of all refinancers being external. In March 2026, 57% falling into the category of external refinancers. Demonstrating a growing trend of homeowners exploring new lending options outside their existing lenders, showcasing changing dynamics in the refinancing market.

Home loan commitment distribution

As of March 2026, new loan commitments for the purchase of existing dwellings amounted to $47.1 billion, which represents a substantial 85% of the total value of owner-occupier home loans written in Australia for that month. Meanwhile, loans for the construction of dwellings constituted 11% of the total, with an additional 6% allocated for newly erected dwellings.

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Written by

Head of Consumer Research

Graham Cooke is Finder’s Head of Consumer Research, overseeing data analysis on consumer spending and saving habits. He is a passionate advocate for financial literacy and consumer rights, regularly appearing on major TV networks like ABC News and 7 News, and contributing to top outlets like Yahoo Finance and Money Magazine. Graham holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Physics, as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146) that comply with ASIC standards. See full bio

Graham's expertise
Graham has written 57 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Home loans and the housing market
  • Credit cards & personal finance
  • Finder Awards
  • Retail economics & FMCG
  • Travel
  • Finder's RBA Cash Rate Survey, Consumer Sentiment Tracker, Cost of Living Pressure Gauge and Property Investment Index
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