Australia Building Activity, June Quarter 2026 — Dwelling Commencements Up 7.0% to 52,201
ABS (7 Oct. 2026): 52,201 dwellings commenced in the June quarter 2026 (seasonally adjusted), up 7.0% on March and 14.4% on a year. Houses +11.6%; completions +5.8%.
Key figures (June quarter 2026, released 7 October 2026)
As of 8 October 2026 (KST); ABS Building Activity, Australia, June 2026, released 7 October 2026 at 11:30am AEDT. Primary source: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/building-and-construction/building-activity-australia/jun-2026[1]
| Indicator (Australia, seasonally adjusted unless stated) | Previous (March quarter 2026) | Current (June quarter 2026) | Change vs previous (quarter) | Change vs year ago (June quarter 2025) | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings commenced (number) | 48,804 | 52,201 | +7.0% | +14.4% (from 45,635) | Issuer record (ABS) |
| New private sector houses commenced | 28,403 | 31,707 | +11.6% | +20.7% (from 26,276) | Issuer record (ABS) |
| New private sector other residential commenced | 19,141 | 19,126 | -0.1% | +4.6% (from 18,277) | Issuer record (ABS) |
| Total dwellings completed | 44,592 | 47,168 | +5.8% | +15.9% (from 40,699) | Issuer record (ABS) |
| Dwellings under construction (original, end of quarter) | 244,132 | 248,733 | +4,601 (+1.9%) | +24,162 (+10.8%, from 224,571) | Issuer record (ABS); changes are this page's calculation |
| Value of total building work done ($ million, chain volume) | 45,319.9 | 45,834.8 | +1.1% | +10.0% (from 41,665.1) | Issuer record (ABS) |
Comparison basis: the ABS compares each quarter with the previous quarter and with the same quarter a year earlier. Previous-quarter and year-ago levels are as shown in the June 2026 release's series (the March quarter was revised in this release). Dwelling counts are whole numbers; values are in $ million to one decimal place (chain volume, reference year 2023-2024) and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. The changes in dwellings under construction are this page's calculations.[1]
In three lines 1. Australia commenced 52,201 dwellings in the June quarter 2026 (seasonally adjusted), up 7.0% on the March quarter and 14.4% on a year earlier. 2. New private house commencements rose 11.6% to 31,707, while other residential commencements were little changed (-0.1%) at 19,126. 3. Completions rose 5.8% to 47,168, 248,733 dwellings were under construction, and building work done rose 1.1% to $45.8 billion.[1]
Comparison terms
Building activity vs building approvals: this survey measures work on approved jobs (commencements, completions, work done); its sample is drawn from jobs notified to the ABS Building Approvals collection. Scope: approved work greater than $10,000.[1]
Commenced, under construction, completed: commencements and completions are counts during the quarter; dwellings under construction is a count at the end of the quarter (original series). Other residential covers dwellings other than houses.[1]
Seasonally adjusted vs trend vs original: headline figures are seasonally adjusted; the ABS also publishes trend and original series. Values of work done are chain volume measures (reference year 2023-2024).[1]
Commencements and completions, trend and seasonally adjusted
| Series (June quarter 2026) | Seasonally adjusted | Quarterly change (%) | Trend | Quarterly change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings commenced | 52,201 | 7.0 | 51,421 | -0.2 |
| New private houses commenced | 31,707 | 11.6 | 30,605 | 3.5 |
| New private other residential commenced | 19,126 | -0.1 | 19,518 | -5.4 |
| Total dwellings completed | 47,168 | 5.8 | 46,197 | 1.8 |
| New private houses completed | 27,039 | 1.4 | 26,804 | 0.5 |
| New private other residential completed | 19,018 | 13.9 | 18,182 | 4.1 |
In original terms, 47,653 dwellings were completed in the June quarter, 15.8% more than in June 2025. Of the 248,733 dwellings under construction, 95,447 were new houses.[1]
Commencements by state (seasonally adjusted)
| State | Jun qtr 2025 | Mar qtr 2026 | Jun qtr 2026 | Change vs Mar qtr (this page's calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 11,378 | 11,907 | 11,252 | -5.5% |
| Victoria | 13,908 | 14,128 | 16,239 | +14.9% |
| Queensland | 9,550 | 11,342 | 11,671 | +2.9% |
| South Australia | 3,281 | 3,657 | 3,913 | +7.0% |
| Western Australia | 5,872 | 5,930 | 7,240 | +22.1% |
Seasonally adjusted series for Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT are published in the ABS time series tables; the ABS advises caution because small, volatile numbers make the seasonal pattern hard to estimate.[1]
Value of work done (chain volume measures, $ million)
| Type | Seasonally adjusted, Jun qtr 2026 | Quarterly change (%) | Annual change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New residential | 23,644.9 | 1.4 | 8.0 |
| Alterations and additions to residential | 4,119.0 | 1.3 | 12.6 |
| Non-residential | 18,070.9 | 0.8 | 12.1 |
| Total | 45,834.8 | 1.1 | 10.0 |
Work done on new houses rose 1.5% to $13.8 billion and on new other residential building 1.2% to $9.9 billion. In trend terms total work done was $45,882.3 million, up 1.3%.[1]
Reading in pairs
Seasonally adjusted vs trend. Total commencements rose 7.0% seasonally adjusted but fell 0.2% in trend terms (51,421); private other residential fell only 0.1% seasonally adjusted but 5.4% in trend terms.[1]
Houses vs other residential. House commencements rose 11.6% after a 1.3% fall in the March quarter; other residential commencements fell 0.1% after a 20.6% fall in the March quarter.[1]
Commencements vs completions vs pipeline. 52,201 dwellings started and 47,168 were completed in the quarter (seasonally adjusted), while the number under construction (original) rose to 248,733.[1]
Preliminary vs final. The release is based on about 85% of the value of work done (below the long-term average) and the data are subject to revision; final June quarter data are due on 13 January 2027. In this release the March quarter commencements were revised up by 433 dwellings (original).[1]
Revisions and next release
Compared with the March 2026 release, the March quarter value of work done was revised up $453.9 million (1.0%, original, current price) and dwellings commenced up 433 (1.0%). This release updates the preliminary estimates in Construction Work Done, Australia.[1]
Next release (September quarter 2026, with final June quarter data): 13 January 2027.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
ABS: total dwelling commencements rose 7.0% to 52,201 in the June quarter 2026 (seasonally adjusted), 14.4% higher than a year earlier.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
New private sector house commencements rose 11.6% to 31,707 (after a 1.3% fall in the March quarter); new private other residential commencements fell 0.1% to 19,126 (after a 20.6% fall).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Total dwellings completed rose 5.8% to 47,168 (seasonally adjusted); in original terms 47,653 were completed, 15.8% more than in June 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
There were 248,733 dwellings under construction at the end of the June quarter, of which 95,447 were new houses (original).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The value of total building work done rose 1.1% to $45,834.8 million in chain volume terms (seasonally adjusted), 10.0% higher than a year earlier; new residential rose 1.4% and non-residential 0.8%.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Trend estimates: total commencements 51,421 (down 0.2%), total completions 46,197 (up 1.8%), value of work done $45,882.3 million (up 1.3%).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The data are based on a response rate of about 85% of value of work done and are subject to revision; the March quarter dwellings commenced were revised up by 433 (original). Final June quarter data and September quarter estimates are due on 13 January 2027.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
Dwellings under construction rose by 4,601 (1.9%) over the June quarter and by 24,162 (10.8%) over the year to the June quarter 2026.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the ABS series
Among the five states shown, commencements rose most in Western Australia (about 22.1%) and Victoria (about 14.9%) and fell in New South Wales (about 5.5%) between the March and June quarters.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the ABS state series (seasonally adjusted)
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- Final June quarter 2026 figures and September quarter 2026 estimates
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/08/2026, 17:20
- Body characters
- 5,843
- Sources
- 1 source adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/08/2026, 17:25
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (4)
| 10/10/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/08/2026 | First version. Read in full the ABS Building Activity release for the June quarter 2026, including the series tables, revisions and methodology; quotations, table rows and figures matched against the release text. | Updated |
| 10/08/2026 | Pre-publication review findings checked against the source; confirmed ones applied: as-of date set to 8 October 2026, and revision wording now follows the ABS (the data are subject to revision). | Updated |
| 10/08/2026 | Independent pre-publication review (ChatGPT) against the sources; findings confirmed by the source text were applied. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How many dwellings were started in Australia in the June quarter 2026?
52,201 (seasonally adjusted), up 7.0% on the March quarter and 14.4% on a year earlier.[1]
Did house commencements rise?
Yes: new private house commencements rose 11.6% to 31,707, after a 1.3% fall in the March quarter.[1]
How many dwellings are under construction in Australia?
248,733 at the end of the June quarter 2026 (original), of which 95,447 were new houses.[1]
How many dwellings were completed?
47,168 in the June quarter (seasonally adjusted), up 5.8%; 47,653 in original terms, 15.8% more than a year earlier.[1]
What was the value of building work done?
$45.8 billion (chain volume, seasonally adjusted), up 1.1% on the quarter and 10.0% on the year.[1]
What does the trend estimate show?
51,421 total commencements, down 0.2%, with completions up 1.8% to 46,197.[1]
Are these figures final?
No: they are based on about 85% of value of work done and are subject to revision; final June quarter data are due on 13 January 2027.[1]
When is the next building activity release?
13 January 2027, for the September quarter 2026.[1]