08/11/2026
Fifty years ago, a 20% home deposit equalled roughly 40% of an average Kiwi household’s annual earnings. Today, it sits closer to 140%.
While interest rates have moved from 20% highs in the eighties down to around 5% today, building that initial deposit remains the primary challenge for buyers getting started.
Swipe through to see how housing and mortgage conditions in New Zealand have evolved across the last five decades.