The total number of dwellings approved in Australia rose 15.2% in November 2025 to 18,406, according to seasonally adjusted data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The increase was largely driven by a 34.1% jump in approvals for private dwellings excluding houses, following a 13.5% fall in October 2025.
Approvals for private sector houses also rose modestly, up 1.3% to 9,458 dwellings, 3.2% higher than a year ago, with New South Wales and Queensland leading the gains at 4.3% and 3.9% respectively, while South Australia saw a 3.7% decline.
Apartment approvals in particular surged, with 5,558 dwellings approved in original terms, marking a 63.6% increase from October 2025 and the highest level since June 2018; Queensland and Victoria accounted for the bulk of the growth, with 1,878 and 1,496 apartments approved, respectively.
The rise in approvals also drove the total value of building approvals up 12.8% to $18.34 billion, underpinned by a record $11.34 billion in residential building, including a 30.4% increase in new residential construction.
In contrast, non-residential building fell 3.9% to $7.04 billion, though still 15.1% higher than a year ago.