NAB builds, while Westpac slides

National Australia Bank and ANZ picked up market share in the home loan market over the three months to April 2013, with growth for each bank of 1.7 per cent.

Suncorp was the only other bank to show meaningful growth above system over the period, with growth of 1.6 per cent. Overall, home loan growth for banks was just 1.2 per cent.

Westpac reported growth of 0.8 per cent. It has shed market share each month since September.

NAB, by contrast, has recorded three years of monthly growth in home loan market share.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority's monthly figures suggest that the rate of growth in household deposits, which has been very strong over the past few years, is tapering off. The growth rate for the 12 months to April was 7.6 per cent, but it fell, to 4.8 per cent annualised, over the past six months, and to 2.8 per cent annualised over the past three months.

Commercial deposits fell by 1.6 per cent over the past three months.

Low interest rates are not encouraging much growth in borrowing, but they are prompting savers to look for alternatives to deposits.