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Agile Market Intelligence’s May Consumer Pulse, which captures responses from around 1,500 Australians each month, found that while cost-of-living pressures remain elevated, households are increasingly looking to rebuild savings buffers.
The survey found that saving remained the top financial priority for 41 per cent of Australians overall, while 26 per cent said paying down debt remained their biggest concern.
However, nearly one-third of Australians are still primarily focused on day-to-day expenses, with that share steadily increasing since the beginning of the year.
Agile said the proportion of Australians prioritising daily expenses had increased since the start of the year, rising from 26 per cent to 31 per cent.
“April was a costly month for Australians, and May is about recovering from such expenses,” Michael Johnson, director at Agile Market Intelligence, said.
“With price hikes due to conflicts across the globe and without any more energy rebates, Australians are more conscious about how they spend their money and where they put it.”
Debt-free households feeling cost pressures
Agile’s data suggested debt-free Australians were increasingly being affected by cost-of-living pressures.
While 54 per cent of debt-free households still prioritised savings, down from 63 per cent at the beginning of the year, concern around day-to-day expenses continued to rise.
Agile found 44 per cent of debt-free Australians were now focused on daily expenses, representing a 9-percentage-point increase since January and the highest recorded level for the segment over the past year.
The survey said the removal of the federal government’s Energy Bill Relief Fund at the end of 2025 had contributed to rising household pressure, with Australians now receiving energy bills without rebates.
Mortgage holders continue focusing on debt
The survey found mortgage holders remained heavily focused on debt repayment, with 65 per cent nominating paying off debt as their primary financial priority.
At the same time, the share of mortgage holders focused on savings rose to 29 per cent in May, up 7 percentage points from April and marking the second-highest priority for the cohort.
Agile said the increase in debt repayment priorities earlier in the year coincided with cash rate rises, which had “clearly caused concern for mortgage holders”.
Savings remain top priority for consumer debt holders
Among Australians carrying consumer debt, 38 per cent said savings remained their top priority, although that figure had declined from 42 per cent earlier in the year.
Meanwhile, 34 per cent of consumer debt holders said paying off debt was their main financial focus, while 28 per cent were prioritising day-to-day expenses – the highest level recorded for the segment over the past year.
[Related: How should brokers approach lead generation in 2026?]
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