SOCIAL INDICATORS – AUSTRALIA

Top 10 Issues Shaping the 2025 Federal Election: Cost of Living and Crime on the Rise, Climate Change Fades

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Jan-25

Roy Morgan’s in-depth survey data covering the last few years highlights the key issues gaining importance for Australian electors as we approach the Federal Election. Cost-of-living increasingly dominates voter concerns with several related issues rising significantly since the Federal Election in mid-2022. The most important issue for electors is clearly ‘Keeping day-to-day living costs down’ (up 7% points to 57%). ‘Keeping interest rates down’ (up 8% points to 19%) and ‘Managing immigration and population growth’ (surging 8% points to 14%) have also increased. The sharp rise in immigration-related concerns is during a period in which Australia has had record high immigration and housing affordability issues have been at the forefront. At the same time, public anxiety about safety has escalated significantly with ‘Reducing crime and maintaining law and order’ jumping 10% points to 23% – the largest increase for any issue. In contrast, there are two issues that have fallen rapidly in importance: ‘Global warming and climate change’ is down 9% points to 23% and ‘Open and honest government’ is down 6% points to 19%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, says understanding how electors feel about issues is critical as Federal Election approaches

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Jan-25

Australians are shifting their focus on what are the ‘Issues of most importance’ ahead of this year’s Federal Election. The rising focus on cost-of-living pressures – spanning day-to-day expenses, interest rates, and housing affordability – reflects a growing urgency among voters to address financial strain, making it the defining issue of this election cycle. Concern about ‘reducing crime’ has surged around Australia and for supporters of all major parties, especially in Queensland, doubling from 16% to 32%, in Victoria, with a rise from 14% to 26% and in the NT, up 13% to 33%. In Victoria, new State Liberal Leader Brad Battin faces his first electoral test in early February in the Labor Government-held seat of Werribee. Battin is a former policeman, like Federal Coalition Leader Peter Dutton, and will be hoping his tough reputation will add momentum to the Liberal Party’s campaign to win the seat.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Melbourne Institute & Roy Morgan – Taking The Pulse of the Nation: Many women are dissatisfied with the division of unpaid domestic work between them and their partner

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 19-Jun-24

Taking the Pulse of the Nation (TTPN) surveys the Australian population to capture their sentiments and behaviours related to current economic and social issues. The March 2024 survey reveals that, while the total hours of unpaid domestic work has decreased since March 2023 for parents of dependent children, women -and mothers in particular – continue to undertake disproportionately more household work. Such activities include grocery shopping, food preparation, laundry, grounds care and gardening, home and vehicle maintenance, caring for children, caring for adults, and paying bills. Although the gender gap in part reflects differences in employment status – and, thus, could reflect a conscious decision to specialise within couples – women are more often dissatisfied with the division of household tasks than men. To view all Melbourne Institute – Roy Morgan Taking The Pulse of the Nation Reports visit the TTPN website portal: https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/data/ttpn.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

Melbourne Institute & Roy Morgan – Taking The Pulse of the Nation: Australians are still feeling the financial pinch and are more vulnerable to potential unexpected costs

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Jun-24

Taking the Pulse of the Nation (TTPN) surveys the Australian population to capture their sentiments and behaviours related to current economic and social issues. Rising housing prices, utility bills, medical bills, and everyday expenses like food have been contributing to an increased risk in Australia for people becoming vulnerable and falling into poverty. Using the February TTPN survey data, we examine cost-of-living challenges based on residents in a high-, medium-, or low-poverty community. We find that regardless of community type, financial challenges remain high across the board. High and medium-poverty communities report higher rates of food challenges compared to low-poverty communities. For all other challenges (housing, utility bills, and medical needs) there is a high share of individuals across all communities reporting such challenges. The number of individuals reporting these types of challenges is higher compared to 2023. To view all Melbourne Institute – Roy Morgan Taking The Pulse of the Nation Reports visit the TTPN website portal: https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/data/ttpn.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

COVID-19 is the most important problem facing the World and Australia – just ahead of Global Warming & Climate Change

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 20-Oct-21

A special Roy Morgan study of Australians’ attitudes towards issues facing Australia and the World in the future has found COVID-19 and related health issues to be the top issue facing both Australia and the world at large. Some 36% of Australians identified health and COVID-19 related issues as the most important problem facing Australia (including the pandemic itself, the economic impact of the pandemic and the global recovery as well as the restrictions, border controls and vaccines). Environmental issues are in a clear second place, mentioned by 24% of Australians, and dominated by issues surrounding ‘Global Warming’ and ‘Climate Change’ that are set to be discussed at the UN Climate Summit in Glasgow. Environmental issues have declined significantly since reaching a high point of 41% in October 2019. Economic issues, which have traditionally been the leading problem identified by Australians, were mentioned by only 12% of respondents, while 6% mentioned issues related to Terrorism/ Wars/ Security. When considering the wider World, the largest theme to emerge was again concerns related to health and COVID-19, mentioned by just over 33% of Australians – easily the highest for Health-related issues in the sixteen-year history of the survey. The research was conducted in Australia during September 15-20, with a nationally representative sample of 1,024 men and women aged 14+.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Environmental issues seen as the biggest problem facing Australia – for the first time since February 2011

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Nov-19

New in-depth research from Roy Morgan shows that a record 41% of Australians regard Environmental problems as the major concern facing Australia, up 17% points since June. A further 22% (down 12% points) cited Economic problems. This is the lowest level of concern for Economic issues since April 2006, prior to the Global Financial Crisis. Environmental problems are also clearly regarded as the biggest concern facing the World. An unchanged 46% of Australians mentioned some form of Environmental concern as the most important problem facing the World – nearly three times as many as the 16% who mentioned Economic problems. This is the first time Environmental problems have topped the list of concerns facing both Australia and the World since February 2011, when massive floods hit Queensland and its capital city Brisbane, as well as soon after the devastating Black Saturday bush fires in 2009 that killed over 170 Victorians. These are the key findings from a special Roy Morgan online survey of 1,054 Australians aged 14+.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Women earning more, but have the stress to match

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Original article by Rebecca Urban, Victoria Laurie
The Australian – Page: 5 : 30-Jul-19

The proportion of women in employment rose to 71 per cent in 2017, which is the highest level since the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey began in 2001. The survey also shows that 39 per cent of women in the workforce have full-time jobs, and their average salary has increased by 24 per cent since 2001. In contrast, the average salary of full-time male employees has risen by 21 per cent. Meanwhile, the average work-family conflict score for working mothers has risen since 2001, while there has been a slight fall in the average score for working fathers.

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Australians see the Environment as the World’s biggest problem but in Australia it’s the Economy

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Jul-19

In-depth research by Roy Morgan exploring the concerns of Australians shows that 46% believe that Environmental issues are the important problem facing the world, up from 22% in early 2018. This is followed by Economic issues (21%) and Social issues (11%). Meanwhile, Economic issues (led by Unemployment, Cost of living, Economic problems, Poverty and the gap between rich and poor, Homelessness/ Lack of housing and Housing affordability) were mentioned by almost 34% of Australians as the most important problems facing Australia. A further 24% of respondents identified Environmental issues as the most important problem facing Australia. This research is based on interviews with a representative cross-section of 638 Australians during June 2019.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Only 5.7% of Australians say Women should take care of running their homes and leave running the country to men

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-May-19

Roy Morgan’s long-term analysis of important social trends reveals that social views on a variety of topics have stabilised, and in some cases reversed, in recent years. In early 2019 a clear and increasing majority of 59.2% of Australians agree that ‘The fundamental values of our society are under serious threat’. Although this is a clear decline from when this question was first asked just over 15 years ago when over two-thirds of Australians (69%) agreed, the long-term downward trend has reversed in recent years. Since 2003 there has consistently been a majority of Australians holding the view that ‘the fundamental values of our society are under serious threat’. However it was a view that was in decline until it bottomed at 55.9% in late 2013. Since then it has increased and stabilised in the range of 59-61% over the last four years. When it comes to who should run the country, a shrinking minority of only 5.7% of Australians (4.6% of women and 6.9% of men) agree that ‘Women should take care of running their homes and leave running the country to men’. As recently as mid-2012 as many as 9.1% of Australians agreed with this view, which was little changed to over 20 years ago in mid-1998 (9.5%).

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Far more Australians expect a troubled than a peaceful 2019

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-19

A special Roy Morgan web survey shows that 38% of Australians aged 18+ think 2019 will be a ‘more troubled year’ for the world than 2018. The survey, which was undertaken in mid-December, shows that just 10% of Australians expect 2019 to be a ‘more peaceful year’. Some 40% of Australian men expect 2019 to be a ‘more troubled year’ than 2018, compared with 35% of women; in contrast, 11% of women and 10% of men expect 2019 to be a ‘more peaceful year’ than 2018. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine notes that the historical trend over the last 35 years shows that respondents in Australia are always convinced the next year will be a ‘more troubled year’ rather than a ‘more peaceful year’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED