More than half of single owner-occupier mortgage holders in Australia are at risk of mortgage stress, with single women disproportionately affected, according to Roy Morgan’s Single Source research.
The study revealed that 52.3% of single mortgage holders were classified as “at risk” of mortgage stress, while 36% were “extremely at risk.” A significant gender disparity was observed, as women made up the majority of those affected.
An estimated 205,000 single female mortgage holders were “at risk” of mortgage stress in the 12 months to June 2025, compared with 108,000 single male mortgage holders. In the “extremely at risk” category, there were 137,000 single female mortgage holders, compared with 74,000 males.
Roy Morgan noted that this disparity is linked to both the higher likelihood of single women being affected and the fact that there are more single female mortgage holders overall. Nearly twice as many mortgage holders are single women (6.8%) as single men (4.1%).
Lower rates of full-time employment among single women contribute to their greater vulnerability to financial strain. The report found that only 59% of single female mortgage holders work full-time, compared to 71% of their male counterparts.
The gender gap in mortgage stress is particularly wide among younger Australians. Among those under 34, women are significantly more likely to face extreme mortgage stress. The study attributed this to the larger income gap between younger men and women.
The median personal income of women with a mortgage is only 82% of men’s among those aged 18 to 34, and 78% among those aged 35 to 49. The income gap narrows slightly in older age groups, with women aged 50 and over earning 88% of what men earn.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine highlighted the seriousness of these findings. “The majority of mortgage holders who live alone or are ‘single parents’ experience mortgage stress,” she said. “There are twice as many women living alone, or as ‘single parents’, with a mortgage than men, and these women are more likely to be either ‘At Risk’, or ‘Extremely At Risk’, of mortgage stress – across all age groups including 18-34, 35-49 and 50+.”
The research is based on the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which draws from over 60,000 in-depth interviews conducted annually with Australians aged 14 and above.
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