Ad spend declines in May as poor government spend ‘dampens’ demand

July 1, 2025 2:30

Australian advertising spend was down by 7.2% year-on-year in May, due to deficits in retail, automotive, and government spend.

This is according to the latest Guideline SMI figures, which showed that with the federal election occurring so early in the month, there was little positive influence on ad spend, and ongoing decline in government-related ad spend continued to “dampen” demand.

Government spend dampened ad demand in May

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Lauren McNamara

Lauren McNamara is a freelance journalist. She previously spent three years at Mumbrella, most recently as the associate editor. She left her staff role in August 2025.