2914.0.55.002 - 2006 Census of Population and Housing: Media Releases and Fact Sheets, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/06/2007  First Issue
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MEDIA FACT SHEET
June 27, 2007
Embargoed 9.30 am (AEST)
70/2007
Fewer Australian homes are paid-off: Census

  • A smaller number of Australian homes were fully-owned in 2006 (2,478,267) than in 1996 (2,657,971). Over this time the proportion of dwellings that were fully-owned also decreased from 41% to 33%, and the proportion that were being purchased increased from 26% to 32%. These changes in home ownership have occurred mostly since 2001.
  • In 2006, approximately 65% of occupied private dwellings were fully-owned or being purchased, with a fairly even proportion for both tenure types. Similarly, in 1996, the proportion of owned/purchased dwellings was 66%, however the split between fully-owned dwellings and those being purchased has shifted substantially.
  • From 1996 to 2006, the proportion of occupied private dwellings that were rented decreased slightly from 29% to 27%.
  • In 2006, of all states and territories, Tasmania had the highest proportion of occupied private dwellings that were fully owned (37%) and the Northern Territory had the lowest proportion (17%). The Northern Territory also had the lowest proportion of dwellings that were being purchased (27%) and the highest proportion of dwellings that were rented (42%).
  • For occupied private dwellings in Australia, between 1996 and 2006, the proportion of separate houses decreased from 76% to 75%, while the proportion of higher-density housing increased over this time. For example, semi-detached, row or terrace houses and townhouses increased from 8.0% to 9.2% and the proportion of flats, units or apartments with three or more storeys increased from 5.3% to 6.8%.
  • Between 1996 and 2006, the median monthly housing loan repayments of occupied private dwellings being purchased increased from $780 (or $1011 in 2006 dollars) to $1300. In 2006, New South Wales had the highest median monthly loan repayments of all the states and territories ($1517) and Tasmania had the lowest ($867).
  • Between 1996 and 2006, rents also increased, with the median weekly rent of occupied private dwellings increasing from $123 (or $159 in 2006 dollars) to $190. In 2006, the state or territory with the highest median weekly rent was the Australian Capital Territory ($260) and Tasmania had the lowest median weekly rent ($135).

NB: The figures in this fact sheet exclude overseas visitors. Where an answer to a question has not been provided (i.e. not stated) these occurrences form a separate category in the data and therefore some percentages do not total to 100%.

Source: ABS 2006 Census.


Table 1. 2006 Census: Housing Tenure - Occupied Private Dwellings

2006
2006
2001
1996
Tenure type
no.
%
%
%

Fully owned
2 478 267
32.6
39.8
40.9
Being purchased
2 448 212
32.2
26.5
25.5
Rented
2 063 950
27.2
27.6
28.7
Other Tenure
65 712
0.9
1.4
1.0
Not stated
540 045
7.1
4.7
3.8
Total
7 596 186
100.0
100.0
100.0

Table 2.1. 2006 Census: Tenure for occupied private dwellings, states and territories

NSW
Vic.
QLD
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%

Fully owned
33.2
34.7
30.4
33.7
30.2
36.8
17.0
28.7
32.6
Being purchased
30.2
34.0
31.4
33.5
35.1
32.3
27.1
36.9
32.2
Being rented
28.4
23.9
30.0
25.6
26.0
24.6
42.1
28.6
27.2
Not stated
7.4
6.7
7.3
5.9
7.7
5.6
12.8
5.4
7.1

Table 2.2. 2006 Census: Housing costs for occupied private dwellings, states and territories

NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Aust.
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

Median weekly rent
210
185
200
150
170
135
140
260
190
Median monthly loan repayments
1 517
1 252
1 300
1 018
1 213
867
1 300
1 500
1 300

Table 3. 2006 Census: Dwelling structure - Occupied Private Dwellings

Structure
no.
%

Separate house
5 685 387
74.8
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse
702 556
9.2
Flat, unit or apartment - one or two storeys
556 289
7.3
Flat, unit or apartment - three or more storeys
520 019
6.8
Other dwelling
127 340
1.7
Not stated
4 591
0.1
Total
7 596 182
100.0