Research & reports

City economic insights

A snapshot that explores emerging economic and business trends and seeks to understand their longer-term impacts on the city.

Published
SydneyEconomyResearch & data
Groups of people enjoy outdoor dining and socialising on suburban streets

These periodic studies show how people use, visit and spend in the city.

Takeaways

  • Growth in spend is a sign of the city ’s resilience amid uncertainty. Weekly average consumer spend in April 2025 was $251 million, up 2.3% year-on-year.
  • The largest contributors to total spend in the city are 25 to 34-year-olds making up 25% of total spend. But their spend is declining, down 2.2% in the year to April 2025.
  • Decline in the bar and club spend of the 25 to 34-year-old age group was 10% in the year to April 2025, compared with the previous year. This is more than double the decline in spend by 55 to 64-year-olds and those aged 65+. In contrast, dining spend remained resilient despite cost-of-living pressures across all age groups.
  • The City of Sydney local area has more than double the share across NSW of 25 to 34-year-olds. This age group represents 33% of the local resident population.