Why have rents boomed when population growth is flat?

Thursday 17 February 2022

One of the most perverse outcomes to arise from the COVID pandemic is the booming rental market in the face of flat population growth.

In the year to January 2021, Aussie rents soared 9.0%, with strong growth recorded across nearly every market:

The rental vacancy rate also fell to a 16-year low, according to SQM research, driven by the smaller markets:

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.