The State of the Night report has been released by the NSW Government, documenting the spending habits during the nighttime hours in New South Wales, constituting almost seventeen per cent of the state’s total economy.
In the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region during the December Quarter 2025, 16 per cent of nighttime spending was done in person across various economic sectors.
Furthermore, there was a 24.1 per cent increase in in-person nighttime spending from the September Quarter 2025, the highest increase out of the six regions in New South Wales.
In a February media release, 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said the late-night economy in New South Wales is always looking for improvement.
“The NSW Government has committed to unlocking the potential of our night-time economy, and so it’s appropriate that we monitor the impact of our work,” Commissioner Rodrigues said.
“Consistent with the findings of the Productivity and Equality Commissioner’s report on regulatory barriers impeding a vibrant 24-hour economy earlier this year, some good progress has been made, but there is still more to do.”
According to the December Quarterly 2025 report, the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region had the highest proportion of core night-time economy businesses, sitting at 6 per cent, with the majority of these being food, drink, and leisure stores.
Francis Cosbie, a bartender at the UniBar, said the current cost of living could prove costly to the current night-time spending regime.
“Maybe because people have stuff on during the day, like work or uni,” Mr Cosbie said.
“I guess stuff costs a bit more; that went up a little bit a few years ago, but I guess some people have been spending as much money for a while.”
The State of the Night reports shows that almost $110 billion is added each year to the state’s night-time economy sector across all industries, including food & drink, entertainment, the arts, accommodation, retail, health, and all other supporting sectors.
