Australia now has 2,156,319 property investors

Australia now has 2,156,319 property investors, according to the ATO.

                     Tax year 2016-17         Tax year 2015-16

One property             1,536,112           1,493,982

Two properties              407,971              395,910

Three properties            125,915              122,654

Four properties                46,460              45,229

Five properties                 19,504              18,872

Six or more                     20,357               20,017

Total                          2,156,319          2,096,664

That's a jump of 59,000 fresh investors in the 2016-17 tax year.

But the number of investors with six or more properties has barely risen with the latest ATO tally putting it at 20,357 investors in the 2016-17 tax year.

It was 20,023 in tax year 2015-16.

It is this six or more investor demographic that has attracted the attention of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in his pursuit of negative gearing changes.

The Opposition leader Bill Shorten has conceded that Labor's negative gearing/capital gains tax reforms were not “universally loved.”

“I would rather see more young couples buy their first home, than spend billions subsidising investors acquiring multiple properties,” Shorten argues.

“All of the experts know that with scarce taxpayer dollars it’s better to put money into health and aged care than give a tax subsidy to someone buying their sixth or seventh investment property,” Mr Shorten said.

According to ATO statistics a steady 71 per cent of the Australians with rental properties have just the one investment.

That's 1,536,112 individuals with the one property.

There are 1,300,344 individuals who own loss making rental properties.

There are 855,975 individuals who are in a rent neutral/profit situation with their rental investment.

An interest in a property means the property is solely owned, jointly owned or part-year owned – for example, bought or sold a property during the year.