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Research

Small lending in Australia — November 2026

The figures a lender’s board asks for first, each with its date and source. Public figures only, and no forecasts.

· 2 min read

General information, not legal or financial advice.

  • Cash rate target 4.60% 4.10% in Apr 2025, 3.60% from Aug 2025, 4.60% from 30 Sep 2026. RBA, decision of 29 September 2026
  • Inflation, year to September 4.3% Up from 4.0% in August. Trimmed mean 3.6%. The RBA’s target is 2 to 3%. ABS monthly CPI, released 28 October 2026
  • Unemployment, September 4.7% Up 0.1 points. Underutilisation 11.0%. Seasonally adjusted. ABS Labour Force, released 15 October 2026
  • Housing loans in early arrears 0.54% Deposit-takers’ housing loans 30 to 89 days past due, June quarter. Non-performing: 1.01%. APRA property exposures, 17 September 2026
  • Borrowers short of cash About 2% Of variable-rate owner-occupiers: income short of scheduled mortgage repayments and essential expenses. RBA Financial Stability Review, 1 October 2026
  • Household debt 178.4% Of annual disposable income, June quarter. 177.2% in March. RBA table E2, 25 September 2026

Each figure is the latest published on 3 November 2026.

Rates and prices

The Reserve Bank raised the cash rate target to 4.60% on 29 September 2026: 4 rises this year, 1 percentage point in all, after 3 cuts in 2025 (statement, 29 September 2026).

Consumer prices rose 4.3% in the year to September, up from 4.0% in August; the trimmed mean rose 3.6% (ABS, released 28 October 2026).

Jobs

Unemployment rose 0.1 points to 4.7% in September. Underutilisation rose to 11.0%, underemployment rose to 6.3% and participation fell to 66.8%. Employment fell by 39,300 people (ABS Labour Force, September 2026, seasonally adjusted).

Households

The Reserve Bank estimates that about 2% of variable-rate owner-occupiers are short of cash: their income does not cover their scheduled mortgage repayments and essential expenses (Financial Stability Review, October 2026).

Housing loans held by banks, building societies and credit unions that were 30 to 89 days past due were 0.54% in the June quarter, against 0.66% a year earlier, and non-performing loans 1.01%, against 1.04% (APRA, 17 September 2026).

Household debt was 178.4% of annual disposable income in the June quarter, up from 177.2% in the March quarter (RBA table E2, 25 September 2026).

New personal fixed-term loans were $9.7 billion in the June quarter, seasonally adjusted, up 7.1% on a year. Vehicle loans fell 5.0% to $4.7 billion; loans for other purposes rose 21.6% to $5.0 billion (ABS Lending Indicators, June quarter 2026).

What ASIC did, 5 October to 3 November 2026

We found no ASIC media release on hardship, small amount credit, buy now pay later, lending without a licence or responsible lending in the period (ASIC media releases).

Next releases

  • Lending Indicators, September quarter 2026: 11 November 2026 (ABS).
  • Labour Force, October 2026: 19 November 2026 (ABS).
  • CPI, October 2026: 25 November 2026 (ABS).
  • Monetary policy decision: 8 December 2026 (RBA).
  • Financial Stability Review: 25 March 2027 (RBA).

Sources

  1. Reserve Bank of Australia: cash rate target and table A2; monetary policy decision, 29 September 2026; Financial Stability Review, October 2026; table E2, household finances; Monetary Policy Board meeting dates.
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics: Consumer Price Index, September 2026; Labour Force, September 2026; Lending Indicators, June quarter 2026; figures read through the ABS Data API.
  3. APRA, Quarterly ADI property exposure statistics, June quarter 2026.
  4. ASIC media releases, read 3 November 2026, each linked by its number.