Low-density dwellings still account for two thirds of all building approvals in the Perth metropolitan area, according to a report issued today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The study shows this proportion has barely moved in the last 10 years even with state government goals for higher urban density. As the fastest growing capital city in Australia, state government estimates indicate that Perth would need 328,000 extra dwellings by 2031, should a projected population of more than 2.2 million be reached. In this scenario, almost half of these dwellings would be required as urban in-fill.

Since 2001, there has been a small rise in the proportion of Building Approvals for Flats, Units and Apartments, increasing from 9 to 12 per cent of all approvals. But the proportion of approvals for clustered or medium-density dwellings, which is about 21 per cent, has not grown.

Approvals for medium- and high-density housing tend to be rich in the older inner suburban areas of the city, while approvals for low-density dwellings dominate in the outer metropolitan areas.