Ipsos Iris April data shows major local and international news events, including lead up to the Federal election, the death of Pope Francis, the Erin Patterson mushroom trial, and US President Donald Trump’s tariff trade war, had 21.3 million readers rivetted to Australian websites and apps.
April continued to be a big news month as Australians sought to understand domestic and global news events impacting their lives, spending an average of 4.9 hours during April consuming news
content online. News websites and apps reached 96.4 per cent of the online population aged 14+ last month.
As the Federal Election edged closer to election day, leaders’ debates, policy releases and the surge in early voting dominated the headlines locally, as well as other trending news including ANZAC Day and the Neo Nazi incident in Melbourne, the start of the Erin Patterson mushroom trial, the cyberattack on superannuation funds, the suicide of Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Guiffre, the
Queensland flood emergency, and a raft of entertainment and celebrity stories from reality shows Married at First Sight, Farmer Wants a Wife and Australian Idol, the celebrity weddings of Wally
Lewis and Delta Goodrem, and the celebrity split of Jess and Norm from The Block.
Sports news continued its perennial popularity including the NRL Lachlan Galvin alleged bullying saga, the Spencer Leniu and Johnathan Thurston confrontation, and the resurrection of the beloved North Bears as the Perth Bears speculation, plus AFL expert tips and ANZAC Day games, Tim Tszyu’s boxing, and more F1 wins for Aussie Oscar Piastri.
Global news around Trump’s ongoing tariff trade wars and how Australian politicians reacted, the death of Pope Francis and speculation on his successor, King Charles’s hospitalisation, the Israel/Hamas conflict, and Ukraine’s potential negotiations with Russia for a peace deal were all trending news events for Australian readers.
AI takes off—109.3 per cent year-on-year increase in use of AI websites and apps
A total of 12.7 million or 57 per cent of Australians aged 14+ used an AI website or app in April, representing an increase of +27.3 per cent, or 2.7 million people, compared to March 2025 and +109.3 per cent, or 6.6 million people, compared to the same time last year.
Use of AI websites and apps was split evenly between men and women and on average they spent almost an hour on these sites and apps. Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of 14 to 24-year-olds are using AI websites and apps and spent almost twice as much time as the average time per person using them in April.
There are also 1.7 million, or 40 per cent, of Australians aged 65 plus using these types of websites and apps as AI becomes more mainstream.
In April 2025 Ipsos iris measured 74 different AI websites and apps; a year ago there were just 29 being measured, demonstrating how the category has grown as more technology is being made available for people to use.
Australians’ average time spent online increases 7.6 per cent in April
Ipsos iris, Australia’s digital audience measurement currency endorsed by IAB Australia, showed that 22.127 million Australians aged 14+ used the internet in April. Australians spent an average of 4.9 hours per day online last month, an increase of 7.9 per cent compared to the same time last year.
The most consumed website and app categories in April were social networking (22 million), search (22 million), technology (22 million), retail (21.8 million) and entertainment (21.7 million).
The Games, Travel, Education and Finance categories experienced the highest month on month audience growth in April, as travel in particular peaked during the Easter, ANZAC Day and school holiday confluence.
The largest year on year audience increases were recorded by the Career (+6.3 per cent), Games (+5.0 per cent), Homes and Property (+4.6 per cent) and Travel (+3.9 per cent) categories. This represents continued strong growth in digital behaviour given fewer working days in the month due to Easter and ANZAC Day which traditionally disrupt behaviour.
