![\"Australians](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/australians-are-dipping-into-savings-to-cover-rising-rent-mortgage-and-everyday-costs-highlighting-g.jpeg\")
Australians are dipping into savings to cover rising rent, mortgage, and everyday costs, highlighting growing financial pressures on households. Image: Getty <\/p>\n\n Over half of Aussies have tapped into their savings in the past year, with housing costs, everyday essentials, and emergencies leaving households with little financial buffer. <\/p>\n
Australians are dipping into savings to cover rising rent, mortgage, and everyday costs, highlighting growing financial pressures on households. Image: Getty <\/p>\n
More than half of Australians are dipping into their savings just to keep up with everyday costs, highlighting a growing pressure point for the property market.<\/p>\n
New research from Finder reveals that 54% of Australians have accessed their savings accounts in the past 12 months. <\/p>\n
That equates to almost 12 million people nationwide, with the average withdrawal totalling $7,274 \u2013 a staggering $85 billion collectively.<\/p>\n
Rent and mortgage payments were a top reason for savings withdrawals, with 13% of respondents citing housing costs as the cause. <\/p>\n
Everyday essentials (24%) and emergency expenses (19%) were the other major drains, followed by debt repayments (9%) and school fees (7%). <\/p>\n
\u201cBudgets are stretched to the limit and plenty of people are running into trouble and having to turn to their savings,\u201d said Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith everyday costs climbing again, many households are stuck in a cycle where they\u2019re dipping into savings just to make ends meet, leaving little buffer for future shocks.\u201d<\/p>\n
The survey also highlighted a gender disparity, with 60% of women reporting they had withdrawn money from savings for non-planned expenses, compared with 49% of men.<\/p>\n
Mr Cooke said achieving savings goals in the current economic climate is increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith fuel and borrowing costs blowing out again it\u2019s becoming even more difficult to put away excess cash.\u201d<\/p>\n
Survey breakdown of savings withdrawals in the past 12 months:<\/p>\n
Everyday essentials: 24%<\/p>\n
Emergency expenses: 19%<\/p>\n
Rent\/mortgage: 13%<\/p>\n
Debt repayment: 9%<\/p>\n
School fees: 7%<\/p>\n
Lending to friends\/family: 5%<\/p>\n
Renovations: 4%<\/p>\n
Other: 3%<\/p>\n
Unexpected investment in shares, super, crypto: 2%<\/p>\n
No withdrawals: 46%<\/p>\n
Source: Finder survey of 1,011 respondents, February 2026<\/p>\n
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