In brief
The country approved 41,091 new homes in the year to September 2026, an 18 % increase from the previous year. Stand‑alone houses hit 19,228 consents, up 20 %, while multi‑unit homes added 21,863, up 16 %. Auckland led the surge with a 36 % rise in standalone house consents. September’s consents fell 4.7 % year‑on‑year, and seasonally adjusted figures show a 7.9 % dip from August.
Wellington, New Zealand, November 3, 2026: New Zealand’s housing construction boom continued as the national statistics agency, Stats NZ, announced that the country had consented a record 41,091 new homes in the year to September 2026, up 18 percent from the previous year’s 34,181 consents.
This total broke an all‑time high that had been set in 2022 for stand‑alone houses and marked the fourth consecutive year that the total number of consents had risen. A breakdown of the approvals shows that stand‑alone houses accounted for 19,228 of the consents, a rise of more than 3,200 units, or 20 percent, compared with the previous period. Multi‑unit developments added 21,863 homes, increasing by 16 percent.
In the country’s largest city, Auckland, the surge was strongest. The city approved 6,426 stand‑alone house consents, up 36 percent year‑on‑year. Stats NZ said that more than 1,700 additional homes were consented in Auckland over the year, making the city responsible for over half of the nationwide rise in approvals.
September, the last month of the period, saw a modest contraction. 3,570 new homes were consented in that month, a fall of 4.7 percent from September 2025. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the agency said, new home consents dropped 7.9 percent in September from August, reflecting a temporary slowdown in the permitting cycle.
Stats NZ highlighted that the rise in stand‑alone houses was the main driver behind the overall growth, with multi‑unit developments also contributing significantly. The agency’s statement noted the importance of this trend for addressing the country’s housing supply and affordability pressures.
The data indicate that demand for single‑family homes remains strong, especially in major urban centres, while the continued growth in multi‑unit developments suggests a shift toward higher‑density housing solutions. Together, the figures underscore a dynamic housing market that is adapting to population and economic pressures across New Zealand.