Among Australians who have yet to own a home, an additional 3% (now 40%) now say that they have no plans of buying one. The latest results from Agile Market Intelligence’s Consumer Pulse survey show that homeownership plans have eroded in the first quarter of 2026. Only 13% of those surveyed say they are planning to purchase a home in the next 12 months, down 2 percentage points from last quarter.
Key stats you need to know
- 13% of non-homeowners are planning to buy within the next 12 months. A combined 46% want to purchase a home but are either not financially ready or believe that interest rates/property prices are too high.
- The share of non-homeowners aged 35-54 and 55+, abandoning homeownership grew to 40% (+7%) and 74% (+2%), respectively.
- For NSW non-homeowners, only 13% plan to buy a home in the next year, down 5 percentage points from last quarter.
4 in 10 non-homeowners do not have plans of buying a home
- 40% of non-homeowners across Australia have no plans of buying a home, this figure is up 10% compared to March 2025.
- The second largest group is the 29% who still want to buy but are not financially ready.
- Another 17% still want to buy a home, but believe that interest rates and/or property prices are too high.
The prospect of owning their first home has weakened in the first quarter of 2026, with 40% of non-homeowners saying they do not have plans to buy, a 3 percentage point increase from the previous quarter. Moving in lockstep, those who plan to buy in the next 12 months have decreased from 15% in Q4 2025 to 13% in Q1 2026, suggesting a growing shift away from homeownership among Australians.
A further 46% still aspire to own a home but are either not yet financially ready or are deterred by high interest rates and property prices.
"The latest data clearly shows that homeownership is becoming less attainable for many Australians. With 40 percent of non-homeowners saying they have no plans to buy, and another 46 percent held back by financial constraints or high costs, it’s evident that the dream of owning a first home is slipping further out of reach," said Michael Johnson, Director of Agile Market Intelligence.
Homeownership plans for the next 12 months has shrunk across all age groups
- The share of non-homeowners planning to buy a house in the next year has decreased for all age groups.
- 15% of Australians aged 35-54 plan to buy a home in the next year, down 2 percentage points from the previous quarter.
- The share of Australians aged 35-54 and 55+ that do not plan to buy a home have increased to 40% (+7%) and 74% (+2%), respectively.
Australians across all age groups have moved in unison in scaling back plans to purchase a home in the next year, with intentions declining across the board from the previous quarter. Younger Australians, aged 18-34, remain the most aggressive cohort with nearly 1 in 5 (19%) planning to buy their first home within the next year, albeit still down 2 percentage points from the previous quarter. This is followed by the aged 35-54 cohort at 15%.
Meanwhile, the share of Australians aged 35-54 and 55+ who have given up on the prospect of homeownership, rose to 40% and 74%, up from 33% and 72%, respectively, the previous quarter.
"Across all age groups, fewer Australians are planning to buy a home in the next year. Even younger Australians, who remain the most likely to buy, are pulling back, while older age groups are increasingly stepping away from the market," Michael Johnson noted.
In NSW, respondents planning to purchase a home down -5%
- 13% of respondents living in NSW are planning to purchase a home in the next 12 months, down 5 percentage points from last quarter.
- 44% have given up plans of purchasing a home in QLD, the highest proportion among the different states.
- In SA and WA, respondents who want to purchase a home but believe that interest rates or home prices are too high grew 4% and 7%, respectively, since Q4 2025.
Looking at the data from each state, the largest drop in consumers planning to buy a home this year comes from NSW (-5%), accompanied by a jump (+9%) in consumers giving up on homeownership. The trend is similar in VIC, with 16% (-4%) planning to buy this year, and 34% (+2%) with no plans to purchase.
For SA and WA, the larger shifts come from those who still want to purchase a home, but believe that interest rates or home prices are just too high at the moment.
"State-level data shows a clear divergence in homeownership sentiment. In NSW, fewer respondents are planning to buy this year, while the number giving up on homeownership has jumped sharply. Queensland leads in those abandoning the market, and in South Australia and Western Australia, many still want to buy but are being held back by high interest rates and property prices," said Michael Johnson.
About the research
This article is based on findings from Agile Market Intelligence’s Consumer Pulse survey, conducted from 1 October 2025 to 23 March 2026. The data presented are for 3,839 non-homeowners among the 5,073 Australian consumers surveyed. A comparison of homeownership plans across age groups and states between Q1 2026 and Q4 2025 was conducted.
The Consumer Pulse is a monthly tracker of over 1,500 Australian consumers developed by Agile Market Intelligence to monitor consumer sentiment, financial stress, and behavioural shifts across key household segments. The survey provides a real-time view of financial wellbeing in Australia, segmented by age, gender, location, debt status and home ownership.
