Loading…
RBA Household Finances · March quarter 2026 · free to cite with attribution
As at the March quarter 2026, Australian households owed 177.7% of their annual disposable income, of which 134.6% is housing debt. Below, the full household balance sheet, debt against assets, and how leverage has shifted over the past 11 years.
177.7%
household debt to income · March quarter 2026
134.6%
housing (mortgage) debt to income
16.0%
household debt to assets
1,110.9%
household assets vs income
Year-end household debt as a share of annual disposable income. It peaked at 187.7% in June quarter 2018 and sits at 177.7% in March quarter 2026.
2015
174.1%
2016
181.1%
2017
186.5%
2018
187.4%
2019
186.0%
2020
180.1%
2021
184.9%
2022
183.8%
2023
181.6%
2024
178.7%
2025
177.2%
2026(Mar)
177.7%
In plain terms: for every $1 of annual after-tax income, Australian households owed $1.74 in 2015 and $1.78 in 2026 — the ratio has risen over 11 years. That is 10.0 percentage points below the 2018 peak, so households carry less debt per dollar of income than they did then — though the ratio stays high by both historical and international standards.
Every ratio the RBA tracks in table E2, in plain English. Debt ratios first, then household wealth.
| Measure | Latest | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Household debt to income | 177.7% | All household debt as a share of annual disposable income. |
| Housing debt to income | 134.6% | Housing (mortgage) debt as a share of annual disposable income. |
| Owner-occupier housing debt to income | 99.9% | Owner-occupier mortgage debt as a share of disposable income. |
| Household debt to assets | 16.0% | Household debt as a share of total household assets. |
| Housing debt to housing assets | 21.3% | Housing debt as a share of the value of housing assets. |
| Household assets to income | 1,110.9% | Total household assets relative to annual disposable income. |
| Housing assets to income | 631.1% | Housing assets relative to annual disposable income. |
| Household financial assets to income | 449.8% | Financial assets (super, shares, deposits) relative to income. |
Figures are from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s statistical table E2 Household Finances – Selected Ratios (March quarter 2026), which the RBA compiles from ABS data. Ratios are expressed as a percentage of annualised household disposable income (or of assets, where noted). “Debt to income” above 100% means households owe more than a year’s disposable income — it is not a sign of distress on its own. Figures are indicative and not financial advice.
You’re welcome to reference these figures with a link and attribution to the RBA (Source: Reserve Bank of Australia — see the RBA’s copyright terms for its statistical data). Suggested citation: “Australian household debt statistics, Oz Finance Hub, ozfinancehub.com.au/australian-household-debt”.
See how pay is keeping up in Australian wage growth statistics, see average income by postcode, compare your MySuper fund, or work out what you can borrow with the housing and mortgage calculators.