The seasonally adjusted number of approved dwellings in Australia declined 0.3% month on month to 16,606 in February, following a 6.9% increase in January, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Wednesday.

Approved private-sector houses rose 1% to 9,203. Excluding houses, approved private-sector dwellings declined 1.5% to 7,113.

Compared with the year-earlier period, total approved dwellings climbed nearly 26% in February.

The value of all approved dwellings declined 3.1% to AU$14.34 billion, following a 7.1% fall. Total residential building value rose 5% to AU$9.65 billion, an all-time high for a second consecutive month, the bureau said.