The July 2022 trend estimate:
- Total dwellings approved fell 1.5%.
- Private sector houses approved were flat, while private sector dwellings excluding houses fell 3.6%.
- The value of non-residential building fell 4.4%.
Building Approvals, Australia
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Provides the number of dwelling units and value of buildings approved
Reference period
July 2022
Released
30/08/2022
Key statistics
The July 2022 seasonally adjusted estimate:
- Total dwellings approved fell 17.2%.
- Private sector houses approved rose 0.7%, while private sector dwellings excluding houses fell 43.5%.
- The value of non-residential building fell 22.6%.
Dwellings approved
| Jul-22 | Monthly change | Yearly change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (no.) | (%) | (%) | ||
| SEASONALLY ADJUSTED | ||||
| Total dwelling units approved | 13,595 | -17.2 | -25.9 | |
| Private sector houses | 9,937 | 0.7 | -17.4 | |
| Private sector dwellings excluding houses | 3,439 | -43.5 | -43.0 | |
| TREND | ||||
| Total dwelling units approved | 14,974 | -1.5 | -21.1 | |
| Private sector houses | 9,842 | 0.0 | -18.0 | |
| Private sector dwellings excluding houses | 4,871 | -3.6 | -27.1 | |
(a) Trend break added to 'Total dwelling units approved' trend series for February 2021
The seasonally adjusted estimate for the number of dwellings approved in Australia fell 17.2% in July, this follows a 0.6% fall in June.
The trend estimate for total dwellings approved fell 1.5% in July, this follows a 2.0% fall in June.
(a) Trend break added to 'Private sector houses' trend series for February 2021
The seasonally adjusted estimate for private sector house approvals rose 0.7% in July, to 9,937, following a 1.6% increase in June. Private sector dwellings excluding houses fell 43.5%, following a 6.1% fall in June.
The trend estimate for private sector house approvals was flat in July, this follows a 0.1% fall in June. Private sector dwellings excluding houses fell 3.6%, following a 4.7% fall in June.
Seasonally adjusted summary, by state
By state, the number of dwelling approvals fell in Western Australia (-36.9%), Victoria (-17.4%), New South Wales (-16.2%), Tasmania (-14.5%) and Queensland (-13.7%). South Australia rose 19.2%, in seasonally adjusted terms.
Approvals for private sector houses rose in South Australia (18.6%), Queensland (5.8%) and Victoria (1.5%). Declines were recorded in Western Australia (-8.7%) and New South Wales (-6.3%), in seasonally adjusted terms.
| Private sector houses | Private sector houses | Total dwelling unit approvals | Total dwelling unit approvals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (no.) | Monthly change (%) | (no.) | Monthly change (%) | |
| New South Wales | 2,215 | -6.3 | 3,571 | -16.2 |
| Victoria | 3,208 | 1.5 | 4,236 | -17.4 |
| Queensland | 2,054 | 5.8 | 2,837 | -13.7 |
| South Australia | 949 | 18.6 | 1,149 | 19.2 |
| Western Australia | 1,099 | -8.7 | 1,204 | -36.9 |
| Tasmania | na | na | 260 | -14.5 |
| Northern Territory | na | na | na | na |
| Australian Capital Territory | na | na | na | na |
| Australia | 9,937 | 0.7 | 13,595 | -17.2 |
Trend summary, by state
Across Australia, the number of dwelling approvals decreased in Victoria (-3.1%), New South Wales (-2.5%) and Queensland (-0.1%). Rises were recorded in Northern Territory (5.2%), Tasmania (3.1%), South Australia (2.0%), Australian Capital Territory (0.7%) and Western Australia (0.6%), in trend terms.
Approvals for private sector houses fell in New South Wales (-1.8%) and Western Australia (-0.6%). South Australia (3.4%), Victoria (0.6%) and Queensland (0.3%) rose, in trend terms.
| Private sector houses | Private sector houses | Total dwelling unit approvals | Total dwelling unit approvals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (no.) | Monthly change (%) | (no.) | Monthly change (%) | |
| New South Wales | 2,243 | -1.8 | 3,923 | -2.5 |
| Victoria | 3,144 | 0.6 | 4,657 | -3.1 |
| Queensland | 2,047 | 0.3 | 3,082 | -0.1 |
| South Australia | 873 | 3.4 | 1,087 | 2.0 |
| Western Australia | 1,178 | -0.6 | 1,499 | 0.6 |
| Tasmania | na | na | 269 | 3.1 |
| Northern Territory | na | na | 61 | 5.2 |
| Australian Capital Territory | na | na | 442 | 0.7 |
| Australia | 9,842 | 0.0 | 14,974 | -1.5 |
Value of building approved
| Seasonally adjusted | Seasonally adjusted | Trend | Trend | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($m) | Monthly change (%) | ($m) | Monthly change (%) | |
| New residential building | 5885.1 | -6.9 | 6,250.7 | -0.2 |
| Alterations and additions to residential building | 996.1 | -1.3 | 1,013.6 | 0.8 |
| Total residential building | 6,881.2 | -6.1 | 7,264.4 | -0.1 |
| Non-residential building | 3,945.6 | -22.6 | 4,479.3 | -4.4 |
| Total building | 10,826.7 | -12.9 | 11,743.7 | -1.8 |
(a) Trend break added to 'Total residential' trend series for September 2020 and February 2021.
Value of building approved, seasonally adjusted
The seasonally adjusted estimate for the value of total building approved fell 12.9% in July, following a 6.2% fall in June. The value of total residential building fell 6.1%, comprising of a 6.9% decline in new residential building, and a 1.3% decrease in alterations and additions.
The seasonally adjusted estimate for the value of non-residential building fell 22.6%, driven by falls in both private and public sector approvals in July.
Value of building approved, trend
The trend estimate for the value of total building approved fell 1.8% in July. The value of total residential building fell 0.1%, following a 0.1% rise in June. The fall in total residential building value was driven by a 0.2% decrease in the value of new residential building approved, while the value of alterations and additions rose by 0.8%.
The trend estimate for the value of non-residential building fell 4.4%, following a 3.7% decrease in June.
Interactive map
To view the interactive map, click here.
Note that the interactive map will be offline soon after this publication release and will be refreshed with the current month's data within 24 hours.
How to use
- Navigating topics: maps can be selected via the drop-down menu (mobile devices) or the tabs (larger screens).
- Search: the search icon opens the search function. It is set to look for locations such as addresses, suburbs and postcodes contained within an SA2 or LGA.
- Data: on each map, an SA2 or LGA region can be selected to view the underlying data. Data for all SA2s and LGAs can be found in the Download section of this publication.
- If the maps do not load successfully, please try refreshing this page.
Geographic Areas
The boundaries used in this map are:
Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) and Local Government Area (LGA) boundaries according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3
Data downloads
Time series spreadsheets
Data files
TABLE 01. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, by Sector, all series - New South Wales
TABLE 02. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, by Sector, all series - Victoria
TABLE 03. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, by Sector, all series - Queensland
TABLE 04. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, by Sector, all series - South Australia
TABLE 05. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, by Sector, all series - Western Australia
TABLE 06. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, by Sector, all series - Australia
TABLE 07. Total Number of Dwelling Units Approved - States and Territories
TABLE 08. Number of Private Sector Houses Approved - States and Territories
TABLE 09. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, Original, States and Territories
TABLE 10. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Greater Capital City Statistical Area - Original
TABLE 11. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - Australia
TABLE 12. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - New South Wales
TABLE 13. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - Victoria
TABLE 14. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - Queensland
TABLE 15. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - South Australia
TABLE 16. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - Western Australia
TABLE 17. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - Tasmania
TABLE 18. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - Northern Territory
TABLE 19. Number of Dwelling Units Approved, By Sector, Original - Australian Capital Territory
TABLE 20. Number of Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Original - Australia
TABLE 21. Value of Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Original, Australia
TABLE 22. Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Number and Value, Original - New South Wales
TABLE 23. Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Number and Value, Original - Victoria
TABLE 24. Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Number and Value, Original - Queensland
TABLE 25. Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Number and Value, Original - South Australia
TABLE 26. Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Number and Value, Original - Western Australia
TABLE 27. Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Number and Value, Original - Tasmania
TABLE 28. Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Number and Value, Original - Northern Territory
TABLE 29. Dwelling Units Approved in New Residential Buildings, Number and Value, Original - Australian Capital Territory
TABLE 30. Value of Building Approved - New South Wales
TABLE 31. Value of Building Approved - Victoria
TABLE 32. Value of Building Approved - Queensland
TABLE 33. Value of Building Approved - South Australia
TABLE 34. Value of Building Approved - Western Australia
TABLE 35. Value of Building Approved - Tasmania
TABLE 36. Value of Building Approved - Northern Territory
TABLE 37. Value of Building Approved - Australian Capital Territory
TABLE 38. Value of Building Approved - Australia
TABLE 39. Value of Total Building Approved - States and Territories
TABLE 40. Value of Residential Building Approved - States and Territories
TABLE 41. Value of Non-residential Building Approved - States and Territories
TABLE 42. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Australia
TABLE 43. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - New South Wales
TABLE 44. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Victoria
TABLE 45. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Queensland
TABLE 46. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - South Australia
TABLE 47. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Western Australia
TABLE 48. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Tasmania
TABLE 49. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Northern Territory
TABLE 50. Value of Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Australian Capital Territory
TABLE 51. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Australia
TABLE 52. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - New South Wales
TABLE 53. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Victoria
TABLE 54. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Queensland
TABLE 55. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - South Australia
TABLE 56. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Western Australia
TABLE 57. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Tasmania
TABLE 58. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Northern Territory
TABLE 59. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, By Sector, Original - Australian Capital Territory
TABLE 60. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - New South Wales
TABLE 61. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - Victoria
TABLE 62. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - Queensland
TABLE 63. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - South Australia
TABLE 64. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - Western Australia
TABLE 65. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - Tasmania
TABLE 66. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - Northern Territory
TABLE 67. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - Australian Capital Territory
TABLE 68. Number of Non-residential Building Jobs Approved, by Value Range, Original - Australia
TABLE 69. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - New South Wales
TABLE 70. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - Victoria
TABLE 71. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - Queensland
TABLE 72. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - South Australia
TABLE 73. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - Western Australia
TABLE 74. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - Tasmania
TABLE 75. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - Northern Territory
TABLE 76. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - Australian Capital Territory
TABLE 77. Value of Non-residential Building Approved, by Value Range, Original - Australia
TABLE 78. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures - Australia
TABLE 79. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures, Original - New South Wales
TABLE 80. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures, Original - Victoria
TABLE 81. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures, Original - Queensland
TABLE 82. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures, Original - South Australia
TABLE 83. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures, Original - Western Australia
TABLE 84. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures, Original - Tasmania
TABLE 85. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures, Original - Northern Territory
TABLE 86. Value of Building Approved, Chain Volume Measures, Original - Australian Capital Territory
TABLE 87. Number of Dwellings Approved for Demolition, Original, States and Territories
TABLE 88. Number of Dwellings Approved for Demolition, By Greater Capital City Statistical Area - Original
Datacubes
I-note
Information about Building Approvals small area data cubes
The datacube files below contain data for small geographic areas in Excel and CSV (contained within .zip files) formats. Excel files contain data for a financial year whereas CSV files contain data for individual months.
Please note that Building Approvals data are subject to revision. Data cubes are re-released each month including data for the latest month and revisions to data for previous months.
CSV files
Statistical Area 2s: Australia, Year are CSV files containing Statistical Area 2, Statistical Area 3, Statistical Area 4, Greater Capital City Statistical Area and State data for Australia for each month in the relevant year.
| State/Territories | Statistical Area (SA), State and Australia |
| Reference Month | Monthly (yyyy refers to the financial year) |
| Sector of Ownership | Private, Public, Total |
| Type of Building | Houses, Other Residential, Residential, Non-residential, Non-house and Total building |
| Type of Work | New, Alterations & additions (incl. conversions and refurbishments), Total work |
| Data Items | Value of approval ($m), Number of dwelling units (no.) |
Local Government Areas: State, Year are CSV files containing Local Government Area and State data for Australia for each month in the relevant year.
| Geographic Classification | Local Government Area (LGA), State and Australia |
| Reference Month | Monthly (yyyy refers to the financial year) |
| Sector of Ownership | Private, Public, Total |
| Type of Building | Houses, Other residential, Residential, Non-residential, Total building |
| Type of Work | New, Alterations & additions (incl. conversions and refurbishments), Total work |
| Data Items | Value of approval ($000's), Number of dwelling units (no.), Selected value and dwelling ranges |
Excel spreadsheets
Statistical Area 2s: State, Year are Excel spreadsheets containing Statistical Area 2 data for that state/territory for the relevant year.
| Geographic Classification | Statistical Area 2 (SA2), Statistical Area 3 (SA3), Statistical Area 4 (SA4), Greater Capital City Statistical Area and State |
| Time period | Total year, or year to date for the current financial year |
| Data items | New houses (number and value) New other residential building (number and value) Total dwellings (number) Alterations and additions to residential buildings (value) Total residential building (value) Non-residential building (value) Total building (value) |
Local Government Areas: State, Year are Excel spreadsheets containing Local Government Area data for that state/territory for the relevant year.
| Geographic Classification | Local Government Area (LGA) and State |
| Time period | Total year, or year to date for the current financial year |
| Data items | New houses (number and value) New other residential building (number and value) Total dwellings (number) Alterations and additions to residential buildings (value) Total residential building (value) Non-residential building (value) Total building (value) |
Volatility of Statistical Area Level 2 and Local Government Area data
Note that the estimates for small areas vary from month to month and caution should be used in drawing conclusions from monthly movements.
Previous financial year Statistical Area 2 (SA2) CSV data cubes
For SA2 data cubes for financial years 2016-17 to 2017-18, see the January 2020 issue of Building Approvals, Australia.
For SA2 data cubes for financial years 2018-19, see the June 2020 issue of Building Approvals, Australia.
For SA2 data cubes for financial years 2019-20, see the June 2021 issue of Building Approvals, Australia.
Previous financial year Statistical Area 2 (SA2) SuperTABLE data cubes
For SA2 data cubes for financial years 2001-02 to 2010-11, see the January 2014 issue of Building Approvals, Australia.
For SA2 data cubes for financial years 2011-12 to 2014-15, see the January 2017 issue of Building Approvals, Australia.
For SA2 data cubes for financial year 2015-16, see the January 2019 issue of Building Approvals, Australia.
Small area datacubes
Data files
Building approvals: Data items available by Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS)
NSW, SA2 Excel datacube, 2021-2022
NSW, SA2 Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
NSW, LGA Excel datacube, 2021-2022
NSW, LGA Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
Vic., SA2 Excel datacube, 2021-2022
Vic., SA2 Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
Vic., LGA Excel datacube, 2021-2022
Vic., LGA Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
Qld, SA2 Excel datacube, 2021-2022
Qld, SA2 Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
Qld, LGA Excel datacube, 2021-2022
Qld, LGA Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
SA, SA2 Excel datacube, 2021-2022
SA, SA2 Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
SA, LGA Excel datacube, 2021-2022
SA, LGA Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
WA, SA2 Excel datacube, 2021-2022
WA, SA2 Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
WA, LGA Excel datacube, 2021-2022
WA, LGA Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
Tas., SA2 Excel datacube, 2021-2022
Tas., SA2 Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
Tas., LGA Excel datacube, 2021-2022
Tas., LGA Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
NT, SA2 Excel datacube, 2021-2022
NT, SA2 Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
NT, LGA Excel datacube, 2021-2022
NT, LGA Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
ACT, SA2 Excel datacube, 2021-2022
ACT, SA2 Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
ACT, LGA Excel datacube, 2021-2022
ACT, LGA Excel datacube, 2022-2023 FYTD
Building approvals: Datacubes validation table
Average floor and site area, 2005-2006 to 2021-2022
Statistical Area Level 2: Australia, 2021-2022 (.CSV)
Statistical Area Level 2: Australia, 2022-2023 FYTD (.CSV)
Local Government Area: Australia, 2021-2022 (.CSV)
Local Government Area: Australia, 2022-2023 FYTD (.CSV)
Statistical Area Level 2: Dwellings approved for demolition, 2020-2022 (.CSV)
Local Government Area: Dwellings approved for demolition, 2020-2022 (.CSV)
Data Explorer datasets
Caution: Data in the Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the time period when using Data Explorer.
Help for: Data Explorer Datasets
Building Approvals by Greater Capital Cities Statistical Area (GCCSA) and above - Number and value of approvals, monthly, July 2001 onwards.
Building Approvals by Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) and above - Number and value of approvals, monthly, July 2016 onwards
Building Approvals by Local Government Area (LGA 2021) - Number and value of approvals, monthly, 2021/22
Building Approvals by Local Government Area (LGA 2022) - Number and value of approvals, monthly, 2022/23
GeoPackages
Data files
Building Approvals by SA2, July 2021 - July 2022, GeoPackage.zip
Building Approvals by LGA, July 2021 - July 2022, GeoPackage.zip
Data notes
This publication provides the number of dwelling units and value of buildings approved released in Building Approvals, Australia on 30 August 2022.
Small area data cubes and CSV files will be made available in an “Additional Information” release five business days after the main publication. These will be for Statistical Areas Level 2 and Local Government Areas. Release dates are published under the “Forthcoming Issues” section of the publication and in the ABS Release Calendar.
A number of time series spreadsheets contain ‘np’ (not available for publication) annotations. This is due to confidential data being contained in these series.
Dwellings revised by State
In this release, revisions are provided for the time period from July 2021 to June 2022. Further information about potential sources of revisions can be found in the feature article released with the with the February 2016 Building Approvals publication - "Revisions to Building Approval Statistics".
Revisions to the total number of dwelling units approved in this issue are:
| 2021-22 | |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 247 |
| Victoria | -26 |
| Queensland | 35 |
| South Australia | - |
| Western Australia | 5 |
| Tasmania | 13 |
| Northern Territory | - |
| Australian Capital Territory | - |
| Total | 274 |
Enquiries
For enquiries about these and related statistics, contact the Customer Assistance Service via the ABS website Contact Us page. The ABS Privacy Policy outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to us.
Previous catalogue number
This release previously used catalogue number 8731.0.
Post release changes
06/09/2022 - As advertised in the main release of this publication on 30 August 2022, this additional information release contains the small area Excel datacubes and CSV files for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.