Australians are giving up on homeownership in growing numbers, with 40 per cent of non-homeowners now saying they have no plans to buy a property – up 10 percentage points from March 2025.
The latest Consumer Pulse survey from Agile Market Intelligence shows just 13 per cent of non-homeowners plan to purchase within the next 12 months, down from 15 per cent in the previous quarter.
A further 46 per cent still want to own a home but are either not financially ready or believe interest rates and property prices are too high.
“The latest data clearly shows that homeownership is becoming less attainable for many Australians,” said Michael Johnson, Director of Agile Market Intelligence.
“With 40 per cent of non-homeowners saying they have no plans to buy, and another 46 per cent 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.”
The decline in buying intentions spans all age groups.
Younger Australians aged 18–34 remain the most likely to purchase, with 19 per cent planning to buy within the next year – though this is still down 2 percentage points from last quarter.
For Australians aged 35–54, 40 per cent have now abandoned homeownership plans entirely, up from 33 per cent in the previous quarter.
Among those 55 and older, 74 per cent say they have no intention of buying.
State-level data reveals NSW experienced the sharpest decline, with those planning to buy dropping 5 percentage points to 13 per cent, while those giving up on homeownership jumped 9 percentage points.
Queensland has the highest proportion of non-homeowners abandoning the market at 44 per cent.
In South Australia and Western Australia, the bigger shifts came from those who still want to purchase but feel locked out by costs – up 4 and 7 percentage points respectively since last quarter.
“State-level data shows a clear divergence in homeownership sentiment,” Michael said.
“In NSW, fewer respondents are planning to buy this year, while the number giving up on homeownership has jumped sharply.”
The survey was conducted between October 2025 and March 2026, covering 3,839 non-homeowners among 5,073 Australian consumers surveyed.