The Hong Kong Monetary Authority published the results of its residential mortgage survey for May 2026, showing stronger month on month mortgage activity. Mortgage applications rose 12.8% to 10,767, mortgage loans approved increased 10.1% to HKD 40.2 billion, and loans drawn down rose 4.3% to HKD 23.6 billion. The outstanding value of mortgage loans also increased 0.4% to HKD 1,946.9 billion at end-May. Within approved lending, loans financing primary market transactions increased 9.4% to HKD 11.7 billion, secondary market transactions rose 9.1% to HKD 23.8 billion, and refinancing climbed 17.7% to HKD 4.7 billion. The share of new mortgage loans priced with reference to HIBOR fell to 73.8% from 77.8% in April, while the share priced with reference to best lending rates edged down to 1.2% from 1.3%. Asset quality remained stable, with the mortgage delinquency ratio at 0.11% and the rescheduled loan ratio unchanged at nearly 0%.
Hong Kong Monetary Authority2026-06-30
Hong Kong Monetary Authority reports higher May mortgage activity as HIBOR linked pricing share declines
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority's May 2026 residential mortgage survey showed a broad month on month increase in mortgage activity, with applications up 12.8%, approvals up 10.1% to HKD 40.2 billion, and drawdowns up 4.3% to HKD 23.6 billion. The HIBOR linked share of new mortgages fell to 73.8% from 77.8%, while mortgage asset quality remained stable with a delinquency ratio of 0.11%.