Over 18 million Australians accessed health-related websites or apps, according to the latest Ipsos iris data.
The figure represents a 4.3% increase from December 2024, reaching 18.4 million users. The data also shows that the average monthly time spent on health-related content rose by 20.9% to 68 minutes per user, underscoring growing audience engagement.
The biggest growth
The fitness and exercise sub-category experienced the most notable increase, with an additional 768,000 users – a 7.9% rise compared to December 2024 – accessing related platforms as part of renewed New Year health efforts.
Women aged 14 to 54 were the most frequent visitors for fitness and exercise content. Notably, women aged 40 to 54 spent nearly two hours per month on these platforms, while those over 40 showed a higher inclination towards nutrition and diet-related content.
Furthermore, nearly 8.8 million Australians used a health-related app in January 2025.
News makers
January 2025 saw robust engagement across digital news platforms, with both local and global stories capturing the attention of a broad audience.
In Australia, events such as the Australian Open, the Australia vs. India cricket test, the remarkable rescue of missing hiker Hadi Nazari after 13 days in Kosciuszko National Park – alongside Australia Day celebrations, the Triple J Hottest 100 results, and the season launch of Married at First Sight, drove significant local interest.
Internationally, ongoing coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the war in Ukraine, the California wildfires, Donald Trump’s second inauguration, a mid-air plane crash in Washington DC, and a mysterious virus outbreak in China also featured prominently.
According to Ipsos iris data, more than 20.9 million people used a news website or app in January 2025, reaching 97.5% of online Australians aged 14 and above. This represents a 1.1% increase from December 2024 and a 3.1% rise compared to the same period last year. Additionally, Australians spent over five hours per month consuming online news content.
Career change
The data also showed the career category led the month-on-month gains with a 5.9% increase compared to December 2024 and a 7.6% rise year-on-year. This uptick reflects the common trend of job seekers exploring new opportunities at the start of the year.
Similarly, the homes and property category grew by 5.9% during the month, while the games category experienced a 3% increase – a rise that aligns with the school holiday period. In contrast, retail audiences remained steady, with figures comparable to those recorded in November and December 2024, a period typically associated with high shopping activity.
Year-on-year, the automotive category registered the strongest growth with a 10% increase. The games category followed with an 8.8% gain, while energy suppliers and utilities saw an 8.4% rise, and homes and property climbed by 7%.
Net gains
In January, 21.5 million Australians aged 14 and over accessed the internet. On average, users spent 4.8 hours online per day – nearly 148 hours over the month – a 4.3% increase from December 2024.
The most visited website and app categories in January were social networking (21.4 million users), search (21.4 million), technology (21.3 million), retail (21.2 million), and entertainment (21.1 million).