Monthly house purchase mortgage approvals in the UK 2010-2023

The number of monthly mortgage approvals for home purchase in the United Kingdom (UK) peaked at over 100,000 approvals in November 2020, after falling to record low levels in the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in the second quarter of the year. The spike was due to the easing of the first lockdown and a rise in the demand for housing. In 2022, the housing market started cooling down and this was reflected by a falling number of mortgage approvals. In May 2023, there were about 50,500 mortgage approvals. Remortgaging approvals followed a similar trend.

Number of approvals for house purchase mortgage in the United Kingdom (UK) from January 2010 to May 2023

Characteristic	Numbers of approvals for house purchase
May '23	50,524
Apr '23	49,020
Mar '23	51,830
Feb '23	43,915
Jan '23	39,731
Dec '22	40,368
Nov '22	45,279
Oct '22	56,646
Sep '22	64,680
Aug '22	72,900
Jul '22	63,781
Jun '22	63,212
May '22	66,175
Apr '22	66,088
Mar '22	69,591
Feb '22	69,444
Jan '22	73,887
Dec '21	71,265
Nov '21	67,870
Oct '21	67,008
Sep '21	70,479
Aug '21	71,728
Jul '21	73,619
Jun '21	79,428
May '21	86,031
Apr '21	85,564
Mar '21	81,399
Feb '21	85,429
Jan '21	96,900
Dec '20	101,971
Nov '20	106,314
Oct '20	99,504
Sep '20	92,370
Aug '20	85,805
Jul '20	67,386
Jun '20	40,487
May '20	9,352
Apr '20	15,949
Mar '20	56,425
Feb '20	72,021
Jan '20	69,402
Dec '19	67,014
Nov '19	65,975
Oct '19	65,727
Sep '19	66,301
Aug '19	66,327
Jul '19	67,753
Jun '19	66,811
May '19	65,505
Apr '19	65,802
Mar '19	62,233
Feb '19	64,337
Jan '19	65,126
Dec '18	64,119
Nov '18	64,788
Oct '18	67,668
Sep '18	66,084
Aug '18	66,797
Jul '18	65,292
Jun '18	65,948
May '18	65,065
Apr '18	63,371
Mar '18	63,125
Feb '18	63,063
Jan '18	65,706
Dec '17	62,085
Nov '17	65,689
Oct '17	64,925
Sep '17	66,307
Aug '17	66,869
Jul '17	69,002
Jun '17	65,552
May '17	65,767
Apr '17	67,052
Mar '17	68,071
Feb '17	68,160
Jan '17	68,013
Dec '16	68,371
Nov '16	68,289
Oct '16	67,754
Sep '16	64,408
Aug '16	61,195
Jul '16	62,873
Jun '16	65,712
May '16	67,694
Apr '16	68,690
Mar '16	70,723
Feb '16	71,897
Jan '16	72,385
Dec '15	71,319
Nov '15	70,560
Oct '15	70,071
Sep '15	71,126
Aug '15	72,129
Jul '15	71,007
Jun '15	68,123
May '15	65,118
Apr '15	69,081
Mar '15	62,860
Feb '15	61,455
Jan '15	59,031
Dec '14	60,068
Nov '14	59,617
Oct '14	60,388
Sep '14	62,115
Aug '14	65,263
Jul '14	67,009
Jun '14	67,872
May '14	62,055
Apr '14	65,054
Mar '14	68,349
Feb '14	70,034
Jan '14	74,018
Dec '13	71,913
Nov '13	70,436
Oct '13	68,586
Sep '13	67,325
Aug '13	62,824
Jul '13	60,702
Jun '13	58,929
May '13	58,978
Apr '13	56,113
Mar '13	54,450
Feb '13	52,503
Jan '13	52,263
Dec '12	54,611
Nov '12	53,154
Oct '12	52,244
Sep '12	50,332
Aug '12	48,105
Jul '12	47,274
Jun '12	47,803
May '12	49,292
Apr '12	51,944
Mar '12	51,338
Feb '12	50,285
Jan '12	55,581
Dec '11	51,708
Nov '11	52,063
Oct '11	51,759
Sep '11	50,900
Aug '11	52,877
Jul '11	50,880
Jun '11	49,390
May '11	47,035
Apr '11	46,060
Mar '11	48,395
Feb '11	47,458
Jan '11	42,897
Dec '10	41,706
Nov '10	46,144
Oct '10	46,881
Sep '10	46,808
Aug '10	47,380
Jul '10	48,736
Jun '10	49,437
May '10	50,018
Apr '10	50,254
Mar '10	49,141
Feb '10	47,793
Jan '10	46,466