Housing prices in Australia

Q. Thinking about housing prices, which of the following is mainly responsible for the increase in Australian house prices?

And which is the second most responsible?

	Main	Second
Shortage of housing	33%	20%
Overseas buyers	19%	15%
Low interest rates	11%	15%
The first home buyers grant	8%	14%
Real estate agents	7%	10%
Australian investors	5%	10%
Bank lending	4%	11%
Don’t know	13%	4%

Most people think that a shortage of housing is mainly responsible for the increase in Australian housing prices, 20% think this is the second reason for the increase in house prices.  

19% point to overseas buyers as being mainly responsible for the increase in Australian house prices, 15% think this is the second reason. 

Coalition voters were more likely to think overseas buyers are mainly responsible for the increase in Australian house prices (22%), while Green voters were more likely to think Australian investors are mainly responsible. 

People aged 35 – 44 were more likely to think low interest rates are most responsible (17%), people aged 45 – 54 think a shortage of housing is most responsible (40%), while those aged 65 years and over think that overseas buyers are most responsible for the increase in housing prices (26%). 

Females more likely to indicate overseas buyers are mainly responsible (23%), while males were more likely to point to a shortage of housing as mainly responsible for increased house prices (39%).