In brief
Stats NZ data released Tuesday shows New Zealand approved 41,091 new homes in 2026, with stand‑alone houses reaching a 2022 high and multi‑unit developments up 16%. Auckland led the surge, gaining 36% more consents. Mirage News reports a per‑resident consent rate of 7.7 in 2026, up from 6.6 in 2025.
New Zealand’s housing approval total topped the national chart this year, with the government reporting 41,091 new homes approved by September 2026, an 18 % lift from the previous year, the state news office Xinhua reported on Tuesday.
Stats NZ, the country’s official statistics agency, said that of the total, 19,228 were stand‑alone houses, marking the highest count since 2022 and rising more than 3,200 from the year before.
Multi‑unit homes accounted for the balance, with 21,863 approvals, an increase of 16 % compared with 2025.
Auckland, the nation’s largest city, led the growth in standalone house consents, witnessing a 36 % jump to 6,426 new approvals year‑on‑year, the agency stated, noting that over half of the nationwide rise came from Auckland.
In September, 3,570 new homes were consented, a 4.7 % fall from the same month last year; seasonally adjusted figures clip a 7.9 % drop from August, the statement added.
Mirage News reported that, for the year ended September 2026, New Zealand’s new‑dwelling consent rate was 7.7 per 1,000 residents, up from 6.6 in the year ended September 2025, offering a per‑capita perspective on the surge.