Australia’s top New Year’s resolution ahead of 2025 has been revealed, with new Compare the Market research finding that living a healthier lifestyle is the top goal for nearly half of Aussies. It’s overtaken saving more money, which was 2024’s top resolution.
The research found that 45.9% of Australians vowed to live a healthier lifestyle in 2025 – an increase of 2.6% from 2024.* Gen Z is the most likely generation to set resolutions around living healthier, at a rate of 54.2% compared to 52.8% of Millennials, 46.3% of Gen X and just 35% of Baby Boomers.
And New South Wales is set to become the health boom capital of Australia, with 47.5% of those from the state vowing to prioritise their health in the New Year. This was a rate higher than Victoria (46.5%), Queensland (44.3%), Western Australia (43.8%) South Australia (37.7%).
Compare the Market’s Economic Director David Koch said it wasn’t surprising that many Australians planned to put their health first in 2025.
“Living healthier is always a popular resolution, but we’re actually seeing more people vow to prioritise their health in 2025 compared to previous years,” Mr Koch said. “Many of us let ourselves go over the holiday period and 1 January is the perfect reset. But we also know that a lot of people don’t follow through with their resolution and give up on working out, going to the gym or eating healthier if they have a setback.
“I’m no health guru, but I know these setbacks happen and are perfectly normal…. I’m a great example. But it’s all about consistency and having the proper support and tools in place to get you back on track.”
Mr Koch said that the 14 million plus Australians who have extra health insurance may already be paying for services to help them achieve their goal of living a healthier lifestyle without realising it.
“A lot of us tend to think of dental check-ups or eye appointments when it comes to extras health insurance, but there are many different services and treatments available that can help if you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle,” Mr Koch said. “Depending on your health fund and policy, you may have access to things like exercise physiology, gym memberships, lifestyle programs, dietician services, remedial massages and health management programs, to name a few.
“Or if these things are important to you, you may be able to switch health insurance providers. Just remember that you’d need to sit any required waiting periods before you could claim these services through your insurance. Of course, the benefits will vary between different health insurers and the type of policy you take out, but it’s worth looking into.”
Compare the Market’s research also found that 8.6% of Australians said they would drink, smoke or vape less in 2025, with Gen X most likely to say they’d kick these habits in the New Year.
“It goes without saying that cutting things like smoking and drinking out can improve your health, but it could also help your hip pocket significantly,” Mr Koch said. “Say you spent $70 on these habits each week but cut them out completely, you’d end up with an extra $3,640 in your pocket at the end of the year. That’s enough for a holiday, an appliance upgrade or even extra savings for a rainy day.
“There are even some health programs that will reward you for your healthy behaviour. Some providers allow you to connect to programs that let you earn frequent flyer points for healthy behaviour. Others offer discounts on health and wellbeing brands or access to health support, services and tools, while some may even help you slash your health insurance premiums.”
The data revealed that 39.7% of Australians planned to save more money in the New Year, 10.2% planned to buy shares and 5.9% wanted to purchase an investment property. Gen Z is the most likely to want to stash cash away in 2025 (59.9%) – almost three times the rate of Baby Boomers (20.6%).
“While inflation is starting to slow and many experts are predicting that rates will fall in 2025, we’re not completely out of the woods when it comes to the cost-of-living crisis. It makes sense that many Australians will want to boost their savings or invest their money in 2025,” Mr Koch said.
“If you’ve got some spare time in that quiet period between Christmas and New Year, my challenge is for you to set a budget. Understand where your money is going and if there are ways to claw back cash.
“I know far too many Australians stay loyal to their insurance companies, utility providers, banks and even grocery stores. But I want these people to wake up and really put a plan of attack together to achieve that saving goal in 2025. If a few hours of your life can save you significantly over the course of a year, it’s a no-brainer.”
Other resolutions Australians will make in 2025 include:
- Going on holiday: 28.8%
- Getting a new job: 10%
- Being more environmentally conscious: 9.5%
- Buying a new car: 9.4%
- Finding love: 5.4%
*Survey of 1,006 Australian adults, conducted October 2024.
For interviews and more information, please contact:
Phillip Portman | 0437 384 471 | [email protected]
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