Mortgage market hits a fresh high yet ANZ edges backwards
30 Jan 2026
The total value of housing loans has hit another record high of $2.43 trillion in December, on the back of rising property prices and three cash rate cuts across 2025.
Today’s APRA statistics show housing loans among authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) increased by $17.8 billion in December, up 0.7% from the previous month.
Despite this, ANZ’s home loan book went backwards, albeit slightly, falling by $46 million, or 0.01%, the first drop since March 2022, before the previous cash rate hiking cycle.
CBA recorded the largest monthly increase among the big four, rising by almost $5 billion or 0.8% in the month, yet Macquarie continued to outpace its big bank competitors in percentage terms, increasing by 2.4% (+$3.9 billion).
Loans to households: housing
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| Amount | Market share |
Monthly change |
Year-on-year change |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBA | $616.4 billion |
25% | +0.8% | +6.8% |
| Westpac | $502.5 billion |
21% | +0.8% | +4.3% |
| NAB | $343.7 billion |
14% | +0.6% | +5.5% |
| ANZ | $321.5 billion |
13% | -0.01% | +4.1% |
| Macquarie | $164.7 billion |
7% | +2.4% | +25.2% |
| All ADI loans |
$2.43 trillion |
100% | +0.7% | +6.6% |
Source: APRA Monthly Authorised Deposit-taking Institution Statistics, December 2025, released 30 January 2026, prepared by Canstar. Includes both owner-occupied and investor loans to households for the big four banks and Macquarie. ANZ figures do not include former Suncorp mortgages.
Investor loan growth outpaces owner-occupiers in 2025
Growth in owner-occupier mortgages was stronger than investor lending in December, however, over 2025 as a whole, investor housing credit grew at a faster pace in percentage terms.
Across the year, investor loan balances rose 7.4%, outpacing the 6.2% growth recorded for owner-occupier mortgages.
Loans to households: owner-occupier, investor
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| Amount | Monthly change |
Year-on-year change |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner-occupier | $1.64 trillion |
+0.8% | +6.2% |
| Investor | $783.2 billion |
+0.6% | +7.4% |
Source: APRA Monthly Authorised Deposit-taking Institution Statistics, December 2025, released 30 January 2026, prepared by Canstar.
Money in the bank continues to climb
Australian households stashed $24 billion in the bank in December 2025, with the total now hitting a record high of $1.71 trillion.
This is an increase of 9% over the past year, or $141 billion. Since the last cash rate hike two years ago, Australians have now saved an extra $267 billion.
APRA total deposits by households
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| Amount | Monthly change |
Year-on-year change |
Since end of rate hikes (last 2 yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.71 trillion |
+$24 billion +1.4% |
+$141 billion +9% |
+267 billion +18% |
Source: APRA Monthly Authorised Deposit-taking Institution Statistics for December 2025, released 30 January 2026, prepared by Canstar.com.au. Note: deposits from households include term deposits, transaction accounts, mortgage offset accounts, and savings accounts on the books of ADIs.
Canstar’s Data Insights Director, Sally Tindall says, “The mortgage market hit yet another record high with the total value of residential home loans reaching an astounding $2.43 trillion in December.”
“The market continues to expand on the back of sustained property price growth in 2025, fuelled by three cash rate cuts.
“Despite this, ANZ’s home loan book has begun to retreat, inching backwards for the first time in almost four years, before the start of rate hikes.
“CBA once again took the lion’s share of mortgage growth in dollar terms, rising by an impressive $5 billion in just one month, while Macquarie continued its rapid expansion as it consolidates its position as more than just a challenger bank.
“For new borrowers, their borrowing capacity will shrink as rates rise, but the question is whether this will put a handbrake on mortgage growth.
“The next six to 12 months will be interesting now that rate hikes are back on the table. While rising rates typically reduce the maximum amount people can borrow, the last spate of hikes, which saw the cash rate rise by an astronomical 4.25 percentage points, resulted in some sluggish months but by no means a retreat.
“A growing concern for the RBA, is likely to be the excess cash buffers households are still building, with money in the bank hitting a new high of $1.71 trillion.
“While it’s fantastic to see Australians put a priority on building up their buffers, it could prove problematic for the RBA if households decide to continue spending.”
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This article was reviewed by our Finance Editor Jessica Pridmore before it was updated, as part of our fact-checking process.
