Single Australians give up home ownership dream

Wednesday 25 February 2026

Australia’s housing affordability has never been worse.

According to Cotality, the nation’s dwelling price-to-income ratio was tracking at a record high of 8.2 in the September quarter of 2025:

Australian dwelling price-to-income ratio

The time taken to save a 20% deposit was a record high 11 years, according to Cotality:

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.