More Australians are planning to buy a gift for Dad this Father’s Day, but tighter household budgets are keeping average spending down.
New research from the Australian Retail Council (ARC), in partnership with Roy Morgan, shows 5.5 million Australians – or 23% of the population – plan to buy a Father’s Day gift this year, up from 4.7 million, or 20%, in 2025.
While that represents an encouraging increase of 800,000 shoppers, participation remains well below the 35% of Australians who planned to buy a gift in 2023 and 36% in 2024.
Australians are expected to spend around $730 million on Father’s Day gifts this year, up $10 million, or 1.4%, from 2025.
However, the average amount shoppers expect to spend has fallen from $145 last year to $135 this year, a decline of 6.9%.
ARC Chief Industry Engagement Officer Fleur Brown said the figures showed Australians remain keen to celebrate the important people in their lives, but household budgets are under pressure.
“It is encouraging to see more Australians planning to buy a Father’s Day gift this year, but we are some way below the participation levels from a few years ago,” Ms Brown said.
“Australians want to celebrate Dad, but they are being careful about how much they spend. We have more people shopping compared to 2025, yet the average budget has come back, which tells us value remains front of mind for households.
“Father’s Day remains an important occasion, with retailers getting behind options to cater for every budget.”
Among shoppers who already know what they plan to buy, food and alcohol are the most popular Father’s Day gift at 29%, followed by clothing, shoes and sleepwear at 19%, experiences such as dinner or a trip at 14%, and vouchers or gift cards at 11%.
In-person celebrations are important this year. Around 8.7 million Australians, or 37%, plan to celebrate Father’s Day with breakfast, lunch or dinner at home, at a restaurant or café – up from 28% last year.
Around 12% of Australians – 2.8 million people – also plan to purchase a Father’s Day gift for someone other than their birth father this year, up from 1.9 million people in 2025.
Ms Brown encouraged support for retailers that invest in Australian jobs and communities when shopping for Dad.
“As Australians head out to find something special for Dad, we encourage them to back the retailers that back Australia – businesses that employ Australians, invest here and support communities right across the country,” Ms Brown said.
“Whether it is a local small business or one of Australia’s major retailers, choosing businesses that invest and employ here helps support Australian jobs and communities.
“We wish all the dads, grandfathers and father figures across Australia a very happy Father’s Day.”
Father’s Day 2026 – most popular gifts
Among those who already know what gift they plan to buy:
The ARC-Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with an Australia-wide cross-section of 4,977 Australians aged 18+ from Friday 31 July to Tuesday 4 August 2026, including 1,061 Australians who plan to buy gifts for Father’s Day.
About us: Australian Retail Council (ARC) represents a $444 billion sector that employs 1.4 million Australians across metropolitan, regional, and remote communities – making retail the largest private sector employer in the country and a significant contributor to the Australian economy. Our membership spans the full spectrum of Australian retail, from family-owned small and independent retailers that make up 95% of our membership, through to our largest national and international retailers that employ thousands of Australians and support both metropolitan and regional communities every day.
