What countries offer 50-year or longer mortgage terms?

Executive Summary — Short answer: a handful of markets already offer ultra‑long mortgages, and several lenders and countries have recently explored or begun rolling out 50‑year products. Japan has long allowed 40–50‑year residential loans, the United Kingdom has new entrants and some lenders pushing 50‑year fixed deals, and parts of the English‑speaking world (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US) show lender-level experiments or proposals rather than broad, standard market practice. The regulatory environment and market appetite differ sharply between jurisdictions, so availability tends to be lender‑specific rather than universally offered by national banking systems ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

1. Why Japan and the UK keep surfacing in discussions about half‑century loans

Japan routinely appears in analyses because its mortgage market has a history of long amortizations aimed at matching demographic housing demand and lowering monthly payments; multiple reports identify Japanese lenders offering 40–50‑year terms as a standard product rather than a novelty ^{[1] [4]}. The United Kingdom moved from concept to concrete offerings more recently: a new specialist lender, Perenna, received permission to market 30‑ to 50‑year fixed‑rate mortgages, and other UK firms have trialed ultra‑long or 40‑year fixed products, signaling a regulatory and market willingness to test extended amortizations to tackle affordability ^{[2] [5]}. These examples show product innovation driven by affordability pressures, not uniform regulatory mandates.

2. The United States: isolated experiments, regulatory friction, and qualifiers

In the United States, 50‑year mortgages are rare and typically non‑standard, offered by some non‑traditional lenders, credit unions, or specialty products that sit outside Qualified Mortgage rules that govern most retail lending; those products often carry higher rates or fees and limited resale prospects on the secondary market ^{[6] [7]}. Recent commentary and analyses describe pilot proposals and advocacy for multi‑decade loans to boost buying power, but the federal rulebook and investor appetite for long‑dated, low‑downpayment exposure keep such loans marginal rather than mainstream ^{[7] [6]}. The US picture is therefore fragmented and experimental.

3. Australia, Canada and New Zealand: lenders probing longer tenors, not national rollouts

Reporting and market‑watch pieces indicate lenders in Australia (RESIMAC, La Trobe Financial), Canada (ScotiaBank), and New Zealand (Housing Corporation mentions) have researched or hinted at offering multi‑decade loans, but these references describe lender strategies rather than confirmed, widespread 50‑year availability ^[3]. The emphasis in these markets is typically on product innovation by individual institutions to capture affordability‑focused demand rather than systemic policy shifts. Consumers in these countries may find ultra‑long products at particular banks or via specialist channels, but the norm remains shorter tenors compared with Japan and some UK offerings.

4. How analysts and lenders frame the tradeoffs: affordability versus risk

Advocates say 50‑year amortizations lower monthly payments and expand purchasing power, which is framed as a way to restore access to homeownership in high‑cost markets; this rationale underpins product launches cited in several sources ^{[4] [5]}. Critics and regulators flag downsides: extended tenors increase lifetime interest paid, can encourage higher house prices by increasing borrowing capacity, and complicate lender credit risk and secondary‑market liquidity. In the US context, regulators’ concerns about borrower protection and investor pricing explain why long tenors remain constrained ^{[6] [7]}. Coverage therefore splits between affordability arguments and systemic risk cautions.

5. The practical takeaway for consumers and policymakers

If you are shopping for a mortgage and want a 50‑year term, the most reliable leads are Japan and the UK, where such terms have clearer market presence; elsewhere, look to specialist lenders, pilot programs, or credit unions that may offer bespoke long‑dated products ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Policymakers weighing adoption should balance credit‑market liquidity, borrower protections, and price‑level effects when considering whether to encourage or restrict ultra‑long amortizations—recent reporting shows the debate is active and evolving, with product tests and new entrants driving the next phase rather than a single regulatory template ^{[4] [5]}.