Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-26

Roy Morgan’s Single Source research shows that an estimated 1.06 million mortgage holders (19.8%) were ‘Extremely at Risk’ of mortgage stress in the six months to June 2026, up from 16.7% in December 2025, and 19.3% higher than in June 2024 (just before the reworked Stage 3 tax cuts took effect). The proportion of mortgage holders who are ‘At Risk’ of mortgage stress (a less strict measure) has in turn risen from 25.2% in December 2025 to 28.5% in June 2026; this equates to 1.53 million mortgage holders. Mortgage stress eased from June 2024 to December 2025, driven by factors such as real wage growth as inflation declined, income tax cuts, home loan interest rate cuts and a rising sharemarket. However, renewed increases in interest rates and inflation in 2026 are putting renewed pressure on mortgage stress. A key cohort driving high levels of extreme mortgage stress are lower income earners with household incomes of less than $100,000, and people in the lower socio-economic quintiles.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jul-26

New research from Roy Morgan shows that 30.3% of mortgage holders were ‘At Risk’ of ‘mortgage stress’ in the three months to June 2026, up 1.3% points from May. This is equivalent to 1,606,000 people (up 68,000 on a month earlier), and the highest level of mortgage stress since the amended Stage 3 income tax cuts were introduced at the end of June 2024. The number of Australians ‘At Risk’ of mortgage stress is up by 115,000 on a year ago, after the Reserve Bank cut interest rates in May and August 2025, and then raised them in February, March and May 2026. Meanwhile, the number of Australians who are considered to be ‘Extremely At Risk’ of mortgage stress is now numbered at 1,096,000 (20.7% of mortgage holders); this is significantly above the long-term average over the last two decades of 16.4%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Jun-26

New research from Roy Morgan shows that 29% of mortgage holders were ‘At Risk’ of ‘mortgage stress’ in the three months to May 2026, up 0.8% points from April. This is equivalent to 1,538,000 people (up 65,000 on a month earlier). The number of Australians ‘At Risk’ of mortgage stress is up by 100,000 on a year ago, after the Reserve Bank cut interest rates in May and August 2025, and then raised them in February, March and May 2026. Meanwhile, the number of Australians who are considered to be ‘Extremely At Risk’ of mortgage stress is now numbered at 1,084,000 (20.4% of mortgage holders); this is significantly above the long-term average over the last two decades of 16.4%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Apr-26

New research from Roy Morgan shows that 26.8% of mortgage holders were ‘At Risk’ of ‘mortgage stress’ in the three months to March 2026, up 1.9% points from February. This is equivalent to 1,447,000 people (up 130,000 on a month ago). However, the number of Australians ‘At Risk’ of mortgage stress is virtually unchanged on a year ago after the Reserve Bank cut interest rates in May and August 2025, and then raised them in February and March 2026. Meanwhile, the number of Australians who are considered to be ‘Extremely At Risk’ of mortgage stress is now numbered at 1,020,000 (18.9% of mortgage holders); this is significantly above the long-term average over the last two decades of 16.3%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Mar-26

New research from Roy Morgan shows that 23.9% of mortgage holders were ‘At Risk’ of ‘mortgage stress’ in January 2026, down 4% points from August 2025. This is the lowest proportion of mortgage holders ‘At Risk’ of ‘mortgage stress’ since January 2023. The number of Australians ‘At Risk’ of mortgage stress has decreased by 449,000 compared to a year ago, when the RBA began a cycle of interest rate cuts. Meanwhile, the number of Australians considered to be ‘Extremely At Risk’ of mortgage stress is now numbered at 789,000 (15.9% of mortgage holders); this is just below the long-term average over the last two decades of 16.3%. These are the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s Single Source Survey, based on in-depth interviews conducted with over 60,000 Australians each year, including over 10,000 owner-occupied mortgage-holders.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Nov-25

New research from Roy Morgan shows that 25.3% of mortgage holders were ‘At Risk’ of ‘mortgage stress’ in the three months to October 2025, down 2.6% points from August. This is the lowest share of mortgage holders ‘At Risk’ of ‘mortgage stress’ since February 2023, when the share ‘At Risk’ first rose above one-in-four mortgage holders (where it has stayed ever since). The number of Australians ‘At Risk’ of mortgage stress has increased by 518,000 since May 2022, when the RBA began a cycle of interest rate increases. Meanwhile, the number of Australians considered to be ‘Extremely At Risk’ of mortgage stress is now numbered at 903,000 (17.3% of mortgage holders), which is 1% point above the long-term average over the last two decades of 16.3%. These are the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s Single Source Survey, based on in-depth interviews conducted with over 60,000 Australians each year, including over 10,000 owner-occupied mortgage-holders.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED