The Men’s Table has released its 2025 Impact Report to coincide with International Men’s Day, offering fresh insight into what Australian men are talking about, struggling with, and redefining when it comes to masculinity and connection.

The report draws on written reflections from 1,000 men who sit at Men’s Tables across the country, providing a rare window into men’s lived experiences and the support they find in each other.

Now in its sixth year, The Men’s Table has grown into a nationwide movement. More than 260 Tables are operating across Australia, with 2,800 men meeting regularly in safe, confidential spaces designed for meaningful conversation — a place where men can let their guard down and be heard without judgement.

Key Findings: Stressors Easing Slightly, Rural and Older Men Well Represented

The report notes a subtle but encouraging shift: compared with 2024, fewer men said they were being impacted by major stressors such as job security, relationship breakdown, declining health, global uncertainty, grief, and financial hardship.

The demographic spread shows:

• 25% of participants are divorced or separated

• 20% are from rural or regional areas

• 82% are aged between 46 and 75

For many, a Table offers a crucial lifeline. One man described arriving at his Table “in a bad way,” adding: “They showed such concern that it gave me the impetus to go and see professionals to help me with everything I was going through.”

Impacts: Men Feel Seen, Supported and Better Equipped

The data shows the profound impact these catch-ups have on men’s wellbeing:

• 93% said they feel seen and understood at their Table

• 77% said they have become better listeners

• 96% said their Table is a safe space to share

• 76% said they could call someone from their Table during a rough time

• 50% said they are more likely to get a health check as a result

The benefits also extend beyond the Table. Men reported significant improvements in how they show up in their families and communities:

• 60% said they are more able to care for their families

• 68% feel better able to model healthier versions of manhood

• 82% say they have “an increased desire to support young men to be good men”

Masculinity: Six Emerging Themes

Men were invited to text their reflections on masculinity, and six themes emerged.

The first is a clear movement away from “traditional” masculine norms that once dominated Australian culture. Vulnerability, once framed as weakness, is increasingly viewed as courage and strength. Men also reported growing their internal reflective skills and focusing more on emotional intelligence.

The report notes: “Men shared that healthy masculinity is being a good man, and also that it is just being a good human.”

Care — for oneself and others — also emerged as a core masculine trait: “A healthy version of what it means to be a man includes men being able to openly express care for themselves, other men, their families and their communities.”

While The Men’s Table community remains predominantly older, white, well-educated, heterosexual men, the organisation is actively working with four groups to strengthen engagement and accessibility: First Nation, Asian, GBTIQA+ and 18-35 year-old men.

A promising step forward was the pilot run at the University of South Australia, where half the participants were under 25 and two-thirds came from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Remarkably, 100% of those young men said they would recommend a Table to others.

Download The Men’s Table 2025 Impact Report