How much does the average Australian spend on subscriptions? (2026 data)

If you've ever looked at your bank statement and thought "what is that $14.99 charge again?", you're not alone. Subscription spending has quietly become one of the biggest leaks in the average Australian household budget — and most of us have no real idea how much we're paying.

We pulled together the most recent research from ING, Westpac and Deloitte to give you a clear, honest picture of what the average Australian spends on subscriptions in 2026, where that money actually goes, and how to figure out your own number in about 15 minutes.

The big number: $136 a month

According to ING's latest research, the average Australian subscriber spends $136 per month on paid services — roughly $1,637 a year. Added up across the country, Australians collectively spend a staggering $26.5 billion a year on subscriptions.

That's not a typo. Twenty-six and a half billion dollars, every single year, on recurring services.

The forgotten-money problem

Here's where it gets uncomfortable. Westpac's research found that almost 1 in 3 Australians (32%) have paid for subscriptions they've forgotten about — losing up to $600 a year each on duplicate services and apps they no longer use.

The same research found that 1 in 3 Australians find subscriptions hard to cancel. That's no accident: many services make signing up a one-click affair and cancelling a maze of buried settings and "are you sure?" prompts.

What we spend on entertainment

Deloitte's Media & Entertainment Consumer Insights report found Australians spend around $78 per month on media and entertainment subscriptions — up 24% from $63 the year before. Australian households now hold an average of 3.7 digital subscriptions, the biggest jump since the pandemic.

So a big chunk of that $136 average is entertainment alone — but it's far from the whole picture.

Where the money goes: a category breakdown

Not all subscriptions are created equal. Here's a realistic look at what the average Australian pays across the most common categories, so you can compare against your own spend.

Streaming & TV — $35 to $70/month

The biggest category for most households. A typical mix might be Netflix ($15.99–$22.99), Binge ($10–$22), Kayo ($15–$35 for sport), and maybe Paramount+ or Apple TV+. It's easy to stack three or four of these before you notice.

Music — $12 to $25/month

Spotify Premium ($12.99), Apple Music ($12.99) or YouTube Music ($12.99) cover most people. Family plans push the cost up but cover more users. Most households only need one.

Software & apps — $10 to $60/month

The sneaky one. Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, cloud storage (iCloud, Google One, Dropbox), VPNs, password managers and the odd pro app. These are easy to forget because they're annual or quietly monthly.

Fitness — $15 to $40/month

Gym memberships, plus app-based options like Peloton, Apple Fitness+ or Fitbit Premium. Many people keep paying for a gym they visit twice a month.

Food & grocery delivery — $15 to $25/month

Not a subscription in the traditional sense, but the membership fees add up: Uber One, DoorDash DashPass, HelloFresh or Marley Spoon meal kits. Worth tracking because they auto-renew and quietly compound.

News — $10 to $40/month

Paywalled news (The Australian, SMH, AFR) and premium podcasts. Easy to sign up for one article and forget the recurring charge.

Add even a modest mix of these up and you can see how the average lands at $136 — and how a household with a few extras sails well past $200.

How to work out what YOU spend in 15 minutes

You don't need a spreadsheet or a finance degree. Here's a simple audit you can run on your phone right now:

1. Open your last two months of bank and card statements. Search for words like "subscription", "monthly", "recurring", and the names of services you recognise.
2. List every recurring charge. Note the name, amount and how often it bills (weekly, monthly, yearly).
3. Convert everything to a monthly number. A $120 yearly plan is $10/month; a $15 weekly delivery membership is about $65/month.
4. Mark each one: "use it", "forgot I had it", or "could cancel". Be honest — when did you last actually open it?
5. Cancel the "forgot I had it" ones today. That's your instant savings.
6. Record what's left in a tracker so you get a reminder before every renewal — that's how you stop the cycle repeating.

Want a printable version of this? Our guide on how shared households stop paying twice for the same subscription walks through a simple system to catch duplicates.

Want the maths done for you? Try our free subscription cost calculator — add your services and see your monthly and yearly total instantly, no sign-up needed.

The takeaway

The average Australian is spending $1,637 a year on subscriptions, and almost a third of us are paying for things we've forgotten about. The good news is that the fix is quick: 15 minutes of auditing can recover hundreds of dollars a year, and a simple tracker stops the waste coming back.

If you're comparing tools to keep on top of it, our guide on whether Rocket Money works in Australia and the local alternatives compares the options.