WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT
July 2026
While the national mood remains predominately negative, the net positive emotions have seen a slight increase. Frustrated, Anxious, Sceptical, Hopeful and Stressed are the top feelings this month, followed by Relaxed and Calm. In line with the range of conflicting emotions, Nine’s audience is feeling both cautious and optimistic. The majority of Nine's audience is planning on travelling in the next 12 months, with location the key deciding factor for travel destinations. The budget for domestic holidays is typically $2,000-$5,000, while for international holidays it increases to $9,000+.
3 July - 6 July, 2026
Inside this month’s Consumer Pulse dip
Mood of the Nation
The national mood
The national mood continues to be dominated by a negative sentiment, with NET negative seeing a slight increase from last month. However, the NET positive sentiment has also increased slightly highlighting the conflicting and contrasting emotions experienced by Australians simultaneously.
NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.
Dominant mood indicators
Consistent with the trend from the past few months, negative sentiment dominates the list, with frustrated, and anxious remaining the top 2 emotions, followed by sceptical which has seen a month on month increase. The remainder of the list includes a wide range and reinforces the paradoxical emotions Australians are currently feeling. Hopeful, stressed and relaxed complete the 4th, 5th and 6th ranking. Followed by calm, annoyed, optimistic and pessimistic to complete the top 10 emotions. The mix of both positive and negative sentiment highlights how Australians are currently navigating a complex landscape but are showing resilience and feeling hopeful despite the frustrations and stresses.
NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.
NATIONAL MOOD BREAKDOWN
of the under 45 age group feel overwhelmed
The top emotions see some variation by age, and while frustration is consistent across all, anxiety is more acutely felt by those under 45, with it ranked as the top emotion. Younger audiences’ top 5 emotions are dominated by a negative sentiment, and 26% feel overwhelmed compared to 17% of older Australians. Those over 45 experience more diverse emotions, feeling frustrated and sceptical along with hopefulness and relaxedness. Both females and males feel anxious, however females are also calm (24%) and hopeful (23%), while males are frustrated (32%) and stressed (26%).
BRAND CONSIDERATION
To successfully navigate this split emotional landscape, brands must offer grounding, anxiety-reducing messaging for overwhelmed audiences while engaging more composed segments through practical solutions that address frustration and stress.
Conversation Starters
OUTLOOK ON THE YEAR AHEAD
of Nine's audience are feeling cautious
Australians are feeling cautiously optimistic
While negative emotions still dominate, Australians are showing signs of cautious optimism about the year ahead. Caution has dropped across all demographics by 7 percentage points (now at 41%), while optimism has climbed 5 percentage points (now at 21%). This indicates a slow pivot toward a more balanced future outlook. This rising optimism is deeply personal, driven by positive feelings surrounding family, friends, and individual financial stability. On the flip side, concerns are fueled by global instability and cost of living pressure. Australians are highly concerned in particular about inflation on essentials, global conflicts affecting fuel prices, and national security—though anxiety over global issues has actually dropped by 10 percentage points month-on-month. For those over 45, political polarisation is a major worry. However, older demographics remain far less worried about skyrocketing rent, job loss, or cutting back on lifestyle extras like holidays and dining out. This highlights their greater financial stability and insulation from current economic pressures.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
As general sentiment shifts toward cautious optimism, brands should tap into consumers' positive personal outlooks by celebrating close-to-home connections, while continuing to offer clear value for budget-conscious buyers and premium experiences for financially insulated audiences.
TRAVEL
of Nine's audience plan to travel in the next 12 months
Despite concerns, people are still planning on travelling in the coming year
Among Nine's audience, 67% plan to travel in the next 12 months which is consistent with this time last year. While the amount planning to travel hasn’t changed year on year, the types of holidays have shifted slightly with 21% considering an international holiday (5 percentage point decrease) and 41% considering domestic travel (5 percentage point increase). However, a significant proportion still intend to do both (38%).
Over half (55%) of those planning a domestic holiday expect to take 1 or 2 trips. For most of these trips the budgets are set between $2,000 and $5,000, with 1 in 3 opting for this range.
For international travel, 85% are only expecting to take 1 or 2 trips in the next 12 months. However, the budgets for these trips are significantly higher with half intending to spend $9,000+, which is particularly seen for older Australians.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
As travel demand remains resilient with a clear pivot toward domestic trips and high-value international travel, brands should capitalise on this intent by targeting budget-conscious local travelers with accessible mid-tier packages ($2k–$5k) while tailoring premium, high-spend offers ($9k+) to long-haul international vacationers.
HOLIDAY PLANNING
of Nine's audience trust word of mouth to inform their decisions
Australians prefer to do it themselves when it comes to planning holidays but opinions from friends and family impact decisions
When it comes to planning a trip, Nine’s audience prefer to do it themselves regardless of age or gender. However, they’ll still look to others for information with the key source they trust to inform their decision being word of mouth (55%). This is followed by travel websites (44%) and online review (38%).
The sources trusted for information varies by age, with 1 in 4 of younger audiences going to social media for reliable information. Conversely, older Australians continue to rely on traditional formats, using print newspapers to find information (31% vs. 14%).
BRAND CONSIDERATION
While Australians insist on controlling their own travel itineraries, brands can influence their choices by leveraging word-of-mouth credibility and tailoring trust-building channels; using social media for younger self-planners and traditional print for older audiences.
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
of Nine's audience say location impacts their decision
Location is the key choice driver for travel destinations
Location continues to be the key factor when it comes to choosing a travel destination, with 8 in 10 saying it ultimately impacts their decision. Accommodation (41%) and the price of airfare (39%) also play a role.
The cost of living is having the largest impact on travel decisions for 42% of the audience, however this concern is significantly lower for those 45+ (39% vs. 61%) reinforcing their economical security and higher willingness to spend on non-essentials.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
While destination location remains the non-negotiable anchor for travel decisions, brands must navigate a dual-spending market by leading with clear airfare and accommodation value for cost-conscious travelers, while highlighting premium experiences to financially secure, mature audiences.
GET IN TOUCH
Want to know more?
Contact your Nine representative directly, or fill out the form and we'll be in touch.
