Australia’s love affair with ice cream isn’t just serious — it’s borderline competitive. We don’t just enjoy the cold stuff; we inhale enough of it to make the rest of the world look like casual amateurs. With around 18 litres per person demolished every year, Aussies are basically built on dairy and joy.
The Magnum Ice Cream Company — parent of Streets and ruler of all things frozen — has spilled the beans (and sprinkles) on what we’ve been scoffing over the past 12 months. Spoiler: it’s heaps. Enough to make you question whether we’re buying ice cream or preparing for some strange national emergency.
GM ANZ Scott Mingl put it best: ice cream isn’t a “summer romance” for Australians. We’re in a committed, year-round relationship. From the iconic Bubble ’O Bill nose to that crack of Magnum chocolate that echoes through the supermarket aisle — Aussies know how to treat themselves properly.
So grab a cone, loosen your belt, and let’s dig into the numbers behind our collective frozen obsession.
State vs State: Who Scoffed the Most?
You’d think the warm states would dominate the frozen dessert Olympics… but Australia never misses a chance to surprise.
Queensland takes the crown, or rather, the golden cone — clearly keeping their freezers working overtime.
Tasmania, in the shock plot twist nobody saw coming, slides into second place. Cold weather? Pfft. Tasmanians laugh in the face of brain freeze.
NSW + ACT rounds out the top three.
Full ranking per capita:
- QLD
- TAS
- NSW + ACT
- WA
- VIC
- SA + NT
South Australia and the Northern Territory might be last overall, but don’t let that fool you — there are pockets up north eating more ice cream than a kid left unattended with $20 at the servo.
City Showdowns
Melbourne’s CBD topped the list for most ice cream consumed out of the major cities. Yes, Melbourne — the place where people wear jackets in January and call it “refreshing.” Turns out nothing warms the soul like a choc-top or two… or ten.
And even though SA + NT sit at the bottom of the state rankings, Darwin City, Alice Springs, and Berrimah absolutely dominated regional consumption. When the NT commits, the NT commits.
The Official Ice Cream Hour
Apparently the magic moment for Australians is Saturdays between 4–5 pm.
It’s that perfect window where you’re too full for dinner but just empty enough to justify a cheeky treat.
And if there’s a Golden Gaytime in your trolley, chances are there’s a frozen pizza right beside it — truly the definition of balance. Dinner and dessert sorted in 30 seconds flat.
Australia’s Frozen Favourites
A few legends stood out in the stats:
- NSW is the Golden Gaytime capital, knocking back over 6.7 million in one year. That’s enough Gaytimes to build a small, deliciously sticky fortress.
- NSW also holds the title for biggest Magnum fans, smashing more than 19 million — comfortably ahead of Victoria’s 15 million.
- Blue Ribbon vanilla remains the top vanilla pick across NSW, VIC, and QLD. Classic, simple, dependable — like a good pair of thongs.
- And the winner of the supermarket freezer aisle? Multipacks, which outsell tubs and single sticks combined. Because why buy one when you can buy twelve?
No matter the weather, postcode, or personality type, Australians remain deeply committed to the icy good stuff. And speaking of commitment… it’s nearly 4 pm on a Saturday.
If you need me, I’ll be having a Gaytime.
