New housing supply is being dwarfed by the record number of immigrants flooding into Australia, new data shows.
The number of residential dwellings increased by 54,200 in the March quarter of 2026, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Total Value of Dwellings series released this week.
But over the same period net permanent and long-term overseas arrivals were 193,780 – more than three times as high.
An analysis of ABS housing and arrivals data by the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) found that over the 12 months to March this year the net new housing supply was 174,500, while net permanent and long-term arrivals were 489,300.
The analysis also found the number of new dwellings added over that 12-month period was lower than in the year to March 2016, when net new housing supply was 204,400 and arrivals were just 247,290.
Dr Kevin You, Senior Fellow at the IPA, said the data showed the Albanese Labor government had broken promises to cut migration and build more homes.
“We are building fewer homes than we did a decade ago, but we are bringing in more migrants than ever before. This is why young Australians are struggling to get a house of their own,” Dr You said.
“Australians are tolerant and welcoming, and migrants have played an important part in our national story. But a functioning migration program must be properly planned, have the consent of the community, and be targeted towards areas of economic need.
“The federal government has evidently failed on all three counts.”
The ABS defines “permanent arrivals” as travellers who arrive on permanent migrant visas for the first time, New Zealand citizens who indicate for the first time an intention to migrate permanently, and those otherwise eligible to settle, such as the overseas-born children of Australian citizens.
“Long-term arrivals” are defined as overseas visitors who intend to stay in Australia for more than 12 months, but not permanently.
This differs from net overseas migration (NOM), which is released less frequently by the ABS as it takes longer to measure, and while NOM differs slightly from net permanent and long-term arrivals the two measures are closely related, and the latter can act as a proxy to estimate overseas migration.
Since Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister in May 2022, more than 2.5 million immigrants have arrived in Australia, resulting in net overseas migration of about 1.6 million.
Header image: Aussies queue to view a property in Perth (TikTok).
