Australian dwelling approvals declined in August 2026, with lower approvals for apartments and other dwellings excluding houses outweighing an increase in private sector house approvals. As per data shared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and released on 30 September 2026, the total number of dwellings approved fell 6.1% in seasonally adjusted terms to 16,953.

Private sector house approvals moved in the opposite direction, rising 3.7% to 10,885 dwellings in August after falling 1.9% in July. This marked the eighth consecutive month in which more than 10,000 private sector houses were approved across Australia. Compared with August 2025, private sector house approvals were 18.4% higher.

Private House Approvals Rise Across Most States

South Australia recorded the largest monthly increase in private sector house approvals, rising 27.7% following a 12.8% decline in July. Western Australia recorded an 8.6% increase after rising 1.8% in the previous month.

New South Wales was the only state to record a decline in private sector house approvals, falling 4.5%.

In seasonally adjusted terms, Victoria recorded the largest number of private sector house approvals among the listed states at 3,044, followed by Queensland with 2,456, New South Wales with 2,167, Western Australia with 1,895, and South Australia with 1,036.

Total dwelling approvals were highest in Victoria at 5,163, followed by New South Wales at 3,896, Queensland at 3,327, Western Australia at 2,395, and South Australia at 1,701.

Apartment Approvals Lead the Monthly Decline

Private sector dwellings excluding houses fell sharply during August, declining 21.2% to 5,674 dwellings. This category was also 2.1% lower than in August 2025.

In original terms, apartment approvals dropped 24.9% to 3,268 dwellings. The August result was 19.8% below the average of 4,074 dwellings recorded over the previous twelve months.

Queensland recorded a particularly large decline in apartment approvals. The state had 337 apartments approved in August, compared with 1,330 in July.

Townhouse approvals also decreased. In original terms, approvals for townhouses fell 20.7% to 2,546 dwellings after rising 10.3% in the previous month. The August figure was 11.3% below the twelve-month average of 2,869 dwellings.

The decline in apartments and townhouses therefore accounted for much of the monthly reduction in total dwelling approvals.

Total Building Approval Value Falls

The value of total building approved also declined in August.

According to the ABS data, total building approval value fell 21.3% to A$16.82 billion, driven mainly by a decrease in non-residential building approvals.

The value of approved non-residential building fell 44.8% to A$5.53 billion. This followed a 15.7% increase in July, when non-residential approvals reached the second-highest recorded value.

Residential building values recorded a smaller decline. Total residential building value fell 0.6% to A$11.30 billion.

Within this total, the value of new residential building declined 0.5% to A$10.02 billion, while alterations and additions fell 2.1% to A$1.28 billion.

August Data Shows Different Trends by Dwelling Type

The August figures showed contrasting movements across Australia's residential building categories.

Private house approvals continued above 10,000 for an eighth consecutive month and remained materially higher than a year earlier. In contrast, approvals for apartments, townhouses and other private dwellings excluding houses declined sharply during the month.

The overall 6.1% fall in total dwelling approvals therefore reflected weaker multi-unit housing approvals rather than a decline across every residential category.

At the same time, the value of total building approvals fell more sharply because of the decline in non-residential projects, while residential building values were comparatively stable.

Key Takeaway

Australian dwelling approvals fell to 16,953 in August 2026, representing a 6.1% monthly decline. Private sector house approvals increased to 10,885, while private dwellings excluding houses fell sharply.

Apartment approvals declined to 3,268 in original terms, with Queensland recording a substantial month-on-month fall. The value of total building approvals also decreased to A$16.82 billion, mainly due to lower non-residential approvals.