The number of dwellings approved for building indicates trends in housing market activity over time.

Data are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publication Building Approvals, Australia.

A dwelling is a self-contained home with cooking and bathing facilities, intended for long-term residential use.

The data include approvals for new buildings, alterations and additions, and non-structural renovations. They exclude construction not classified as buildings or dwellings (for example, roads and bridges).

From July 1990, the data include residential building valued at $10,000 or more and non-residential building valued at $50,000 or more. Estimates are rounded.

See the ABS publication for more information and data quality notes. Data for this visualisation are drawn from the Building Approvals, Australia data downloads (tables 1–7).