ABS abruptly cancels housing income survey, experts warn of long-term impact — Sydney auction clearance rate at 73%

Week’s Key Focus

At a time when housing stress is becoming increasingly acute, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has announced it will abandon its 2023–24 Survey of Income and Housing, triggering widespread concern. The survey, which was meant to capture vital data on income, mortgages, rent, assets, and debt from 30,000 households nationwide, was scrapped due to “serious shortcomings in questionnaire design and data collection.” This decision leaves a critical five-year gap in data that has not been updated since 2019, complicating research into housing affordability and income inequality.

ABS admitted that while the overall response rate was “acceptable,” the survey sample failed to accurately reflect the broader population. Experts noted a growing reluctance among Australians to participate in face-to-face surveys, with most preferring to complete them online — a shift that increases costs and complexity for field staff. Despite the federal government allocating $98 million last year for digital transformation, ABS conceded that significant improvements in questionnaire design and user experience are still needed to boost participation and data quality.

The issue is not unique to Australia. The UK’s Office for National Statistics has also struggled with falling response rates and budget constraints, prompting corrections to critical datasets and highlighting the global challenges facing national statistical agencies. Australian economists warn that amid a housing crisis and rising cost of living, policymakers and researchers are in urgent need of reliable data. UNSW Professor Hal Pawson described the ABS failure as “a serious blow” to long-term tracking of rental stress, housing occupancy, and income distribution.

ABS said it will learn from the incident by implementing earlier data monitoring, increasing public testing, and improving the clarity of survey questions. While some economists believe the fallout may not be catastrophic, there are widespread concerns that the data gap will compromise the consistency and accuracy of future policy. With the 2026 national census now on the horizon, experts stress the ABS must remain fully focused to ensure the nation’s largest five-yearly survey is not similarly derailed.

Auction Results Last Week

Sydney: 703 properties were scheduled for auction, with 439 results reported and 319 sold, delivering a clearance rate of 73%. The total auction value reached $347,660,543, and the median house price was $1,500,000.
Melbourne: 752 properties were scheduled for auction, with 559 results reported and 424 sold, resulting in a clearance rate of 76%. The total auction value came to $350,225,401, and the median house price was $887,250.