Commentary on Mortgage lending statistics Q1 2024

The FCA and the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) both have responsibility for the regulation of mortgage lenders and administrators. We jointly publish the mortgage lending statistics every quarter.

Since the beginning of 2007, around 340 regulated mortgage lenders and administrators have been required to submit a Mortgage Lending and Administration Return (MLAR) each quarter, providing data on their mortgage lending activities.

Key findings

  • The outstanding value of all residential mortgage loans decreased by 0.1% from the previous quarter to £1,654.9 billion, and was 1.4% lower than a year earlier (Table A).
     
  • The value of gross mortgage advances decreased by 2.6% from the previous quarter to £51.6 billion, the lowest since 2020 Q2, and was 12.0% lower than a year earlier (Table A and Chart 1).
     
  • The value of new mortgage commitments (lending agreed to be advanced in the coming months) increased by 30.8% from the previous quarter to £60.1 billion, and was 31.2% greater than a year earlier (Table A and Chart 1).
     
  • The proportion of lending to borrowers with a high loan to income (LTI) ratio decreased by 3.0pp from the previous quarter to 39.7%, and was 4.1pp lower than a year earlier (Chart 4).This was the lowest since 2016 Q1.
     
  • The share of gross mortgage advances for house purchase for owner occupation decreased by 5.1pp from the previous quarter to 54.6%, but was 4.3pp higher than a year earlier (Chart 5).
     
  • The share of gross advances for remortgages for owner occupation increased by 3.5pp from the previous quarter to 31.8%, but remained 2.9pp lower than a year earlier (Chart 5).
     
  • The share of gross mortgage advances for buy-to-let purposes (covering house purchase, remortgage and further advance) increased by 1.2pp from the previous quarter to 8.3%, the first increase since 2022 Q1, but remained 1.6pp lower than a year earlier (Chart 5).
     
  • New arrears cases decreased by 2.0pp from the previous quarter, to 11.4% of the total outstanding balances with arrears, the lowest since 2022 Q3, and was 4.7pp lower than a year earlier.
     
  • The value of outstanding mortgage balances with arrears increased by 4.2% from the previous quarter, to £21.3 billion, and was 44.5% higher than a year earlier (Chart 6). The proportion of the total loan balances with arrears, relative to all outstanding mortgage balances, increased on the quarter from 1.23% to 1.28%, the highest since 2016 Q4.

Download the data from the charts below - MLAR statistics: detailed tables (Excel)

Chart tips: hover over the data series to view the data values and filter the data categories by clicking on the legend. 

Table A: Residential loans to individuals, flows and balances

Regulated and non-regulated mortgages* - £ billions - Not seasonally adjusted

 

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

 

2022

 

 

2023

 

 

 

2024

Business flows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross advances

78.0

85.9

81.6

58.6

52.1

61.4

52.9

51.6

New commitments

84.0

87.8

58.3

45.8

59.5

49.2

46.0

60.1
                 

Residential loan amounts outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Regulated and Non-regulated

1,648.8

1,666.5

1,675.3

1,678.0

1,656.2

1,657.1

1,656.0

1,654.9

*This data covers regulated mortgage lending, and non-regulated mortgage lending by firms which undertake regulated mortgage lending or administration of regulated mortgages.

Chart

Data table

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The value of gross mortgage advances decreased by 2.6% (£1.4 billion) from the previous quarter to £51.6 billion, the lowest since 2020 Q2, and was 12.0% lower than a year earlier (Table A and Chart 1).

The value of new mortgage commitments (lending agreed to be advanced in the coming months) increased by 30.8% from the previous quarter to £60.1 billion, and was 31.2% greater than a year earlier (Table A and Chart 1).

Chart

Data table

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The share of gross mortgage advances with interest rates less than 2% above Bank Rate increased by 0.5 percentage points (pp) from the previous quarter to 96.1%, and was 2.1pp higher than a year ago (Chart 2).

The share of advances with interest rates between 2% and 3% above Bank Rate decreased over the quarter to 1.6% from 1.8%, while the share of advances with interest rates 3% or more above Bank Rate decreased by 0.3pp from the previous quarter to 2.3%.

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Data table

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The share of gross mortgage advances with loan-to-value (LTV) ratios exceeding 90% decreased by 0.3pp from the previous quarter to 5.2%, but remained 1.2pp higher than a year ago (Chart 3).

Within this, the share of mortgages advanced with LTVs over 95% has stayed consistent from the previous quarter at 0.3%. This was the same as a year earlier.

The share of mortgages advanced in 2024 Q1 with LTV ratios exceeding 75% decreased by 2.2pp on the quarter to 37.9%, but remained 5.4pp higher than a year earlier.

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Data table

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​​​​​​The proportion of lending to borrowers with a high loan to income (LTI) ratio decreased by 3.0pp from the previous quarter to 39.7%, and was 4.1pp lower than a year earlier. This was the lowest since 2016 Q1 (Chart 4). Borrowers with high LTI are defined here as:

  • Borrowers with single income who had a LTI ratio of 4 or above. This decreased by 0.7pp from the previous quarter to 8.0% of gross mortgage lending, the lowest observed since 2009 Q1.
  • Borrowers with a joint income who had a LTI ratio of 3 or above. This decreased by 2.3pp from the previous quarter to 31.7% of gross mortgage lending.

 

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Data table

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The share of gross mortgage advances for buy-to-let purposes increased by 1.2pp from the previous quarter to 8.3%, the first increase since 2022 Q1, but remains 1.6pp lower than a year earlier (Chart 5). The share of advances to owner occupiers was 91.7%.

Of the 91.7% of advances for owner occupiers, the share of gross advances for remortgages for owner occupation increased by 3.5pp from the previous quarter to 31.8%, but remained 2.9pp lower than a year earlier. The share for house purchase decreased by 5.1pp from the previous quarter to 54.6%, but remained 4.3pp higher than a year earlier. Further advances and other mortgages (including lifetime mortgages) accounted for 5.3% of gross advances in total.

Of the 54.6% of advances for house purchases by owner occupiers, lending to first-time buyers decreased by 1.9pp from the previous quarter to 25.8% of gross advances, but remained 2.9pp higher than a year earlier. The share advanced to home movers decreased by 3.3pp from the previous quarter to 28.8%, but remained 1.4pp higher from a year earlier.

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Data table

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New arrears cases decreased by 2.0pp from the previous quarter, to 11.4% of the total outstanding mortgage balances with arrears (defined as the borrower failing to make contractual payments equivalent to at least 1.5% of the outstanding mortgage balance or where the property is in possession), and was 4.7pp lower than a year earlier.

The value of outstanding mortgage balances with arrears increased by 4.2% from the previous quarter to £21.3 billion. This was 44.5% higher than a year earlier and the highest since 2014 Q3 (Chart 6).

The proportion of the total loan balances with arrears, relative to all outstanding mortgage balances, increased on the quarter from 1.23% to 1.28%. This is the highest since 2016 Q4.

Copyright

The data on this page is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence.