Concerns a rising number of Kiwi homeowners could still have a mortgage hanging over them during retirement

OneRoof-Valocity data reveals the number of homeowners who've cleared their mortgage has fallen from 36-percent to 32-percent in the past 10 years.

Less than a third of homes are mortgage free - despite a prolonged period of low interest rates - likely linked to high house prices and a post-Covid buying surge.

The districts with the steepest declines in mortgage-free homes are Selwyn and Southland.

Overall, Thames-Coromandel has the largest share of mortgage-free properties - while Upper Hutt has the largest share of mortgaged properties.