Mortgage approvals for house purchase

Source: Bank of England, series LPMVTVX. Monthly, in the Bank's Money and Credit release near the end of the following month; August 2026 data were published on 29 September 2026

Mortgage approvals for house purchase: every value, by year, with a CSV download →

What it measures

Mortgage approvals count the number of loans that lenders have agreed to provide for the purchase of a home in a month, seasonally adjusted. An approval comes before the purchase completes, so this figure gives an early signal of housing transactions and future mortgage lending. It covers loans to individuals for house purchase only: remortgaging and other secured borrowing are counted separately. The Bank of England collects the data from lenders and publishes it in its monthly Money and Credit release.

How to read it

Not every approval leads to a completed purchase: sales fall through and some buyers have more than one approval. Look at the trend over several months; the Bank compares each month with the average of the previous six. Approvals react quickly to changes in mortgage rates, so compare this series with the average 2-year fixed rate. Approvals measure numbers, not value: for the pounds borrowed, use net mortgage lending in the same release. For house prices themselves, see the UK house price index.

Background

The series starts in April 1993. Its highest monthly figure is 132,806, in December 2003. Approvals fell to 26,373 in November 2008, during the financial crisis, and to the series low of 9,360 in May 2020, when the housing market was largely closed by the first lockdown. They rose to about 74,000 in January 2022, then fell to 39,808 in January 2023 after mortgage rates rose sharply in late 2022. In August 2026 the Bank reported 54,900 approvals, below the average of about 60,100 over the previous six months.

How many mortgages were approved last month?

When this page was checked on 13 October 2026, the Bank of England's latest figure was 54,918 approvals for house purchase in August 2026, which it rounded to 54,900, published on 29 September 2026. Approvals for remortgaging were 34,000 in the same month.

Are mortgage approvals falling?

In the Bank's August 2026 release, approvals for house purchase fell from 55,900 in July to 54,900 in August, below the previous six-month average of about 60,100. Check the chart for the trend since; one month's change can be reversed the next.

What is the difference between mortgage approvals and mortgage lending?

Approvals count loans agreed for future house purchases. Mortgage lending measures the money actually lent and repaid, in pounds. In August 2026 net mortgage borrowing by individuals was £4.4 billion, according to the Bank.

Do mortgage approvals predict house prices?

They are a leading indicator of the number of property sales rather than of prices. Official house prices come from the UK House Price Index, published by HM Land Registry and the ONS, which is based on completed sales registered some time later.

Related questions

• Where can I find UK lending and mortgage approvals data?
• What is the average house price in the UK?
• Where can I find average UK mortgage rates?
• How do I use the Bank of England statistical database?

More on this source: Bank of England Statistical Interactive Database