Social cohesion in Australia has held steady over the past year even as Australians report deepening financial strain, pessimism and distrust of government, according to the latest annual Scanlon Foundation report. The index of social cohesion stayed at 78 out of 100, unchanged since 2023, while 62% of adults said they believed cohesion had declined in recent years.
The report, one of the country's most extensive social research projects, surveyed more than 10,000 Australians with 100 questions spanning life satisfaction, financial circumstances and voting intention. The headline index is calculated from measures of belonging, worth, social inclusion and justice, participation in society, and attitudes about acceptance.
Dr James O'Donnell from the Australian National University, the report's lead author, said: "People are clearly under pressure with economic pressures, there's discontent and distrust, people are blaming immigration … but we don't necessarily see a permanence to that." He added: "It's not just that people are getting angry generally. They're really under pressure and that plays out in different ways."
The report concedes the headline number can "disguise" important shifts in individual measures, including "increasing strain on Australia's social cohesion". Pessimism has deepened: nearly one-third of respondents expect their lives to get worse over the next four years, up from 29% a year earlier, and 48% said they were pessimistic about Australia's future, up from 43%. While 79% said they had been happy in the past year, a figure stable since 2021, the report found happiness had fallen furthest among millennials and generation X.
Cost of living was by far the most-cited issue facing the country, rated the top issue by 36%, ahead of housing affordability and shortages on 11%, other economic issues on 10% and immigration on 9%. The environment and climate change was the top issue for 4%, while national security and terrorism drew 1%, alongside health, education, social media, misinformation and artificial intelligence. Asked about major issues, 77% were concerned about a severe global economic downturn and 69% about AI, a higher share than for climate change (55%) or a military conflict involving Australia (51%).
Financial stress runs through the findings. Some 20% of adults were unhappy with their financial situation, 10% described themselves as poor, and 13% said they had gone without food at least sometimes and struggled to pay their rent or mortgage on time. About one in five reported sometimes going without medicine or healthcare, being unable to afford heating or cooling, or borrowing money from friends or family, and 16% said they had sold possessions because they needed cash.
Attitudes toward several migrant and religious groups have hardened even as support for multiculturalism holds. Negative attitudes toward Indian immigrants rose to 33% in 2026 from 25% in 2024. In new questions, 36% reported a negative attitude toward immigrants from Israel, 39% toward those from Palestine and 41% toward those from Iran. Negative attitudes toward Jewish people rose to 18% from 13% and toward Muslim people to 43% from 33%, while negativity toward Hindus (17%) and Sikhs (20%) also increased and toward Christians fell from 19% to 13%. Yet 87% agreed immigrants were just as likely to be good citizens as Australian-born people, 76% that multiculturalism had been good for the nation and 73% that immigrants were good for the economy.
The report links financial hardship to voting. Among people who voted Labor or the Coalition at the 2025 federal election, it estimated that 47% of those experiencing hardship now preferred some other party or candidate, against 36% of those reporting no hardship, with most of that shift going to One Nation. It found 42% of current Greens voters and 35% of One Nation voters had gone without meals or healthcare, missed repayments or been unable to heat or cool their homes, compared with 24% of Labor voters and 23% of Coalition voters. Trust divides along similar lines: 9% of One Nation voters trusted the federal government to do the right thing, against 54% of Labor, 35% of Coalition and 25% of Greens voters, and 64% of One Nation voters believed government leaders abuse their powers, compared with 16% of Labor voters.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The index sitting unchanged at 78 while 62% of adults believe cohesion is falling shows a gap between the measured result and public perception, which the report says can mask strain in individual measures.
- The survey links financial hardship to vote switching, estimating that 47% of hardship-affected Labor and Coalition voters from the 2025 election now prefer another party, mostly One Nation.
- Support for multiculturalism remains high even as negative attitudes toward several migrant and religious groups have risen, a contrast the survey tracks year to year.
Background
Social cohesion research of this kind asks a large sample of Australians about belonging, trust, participation and acceptance, rather than relying on a single question about tolerance. The Scanlon Foundation has run the project annually, and its index has become a widely cited marker of how Australians view their institutions, their neighbours and the country's direction. This year's report lands amid sustained cost-of-living pressure and a contested political debate over immigration, both of which the survey's authors connect to the mood it records.
Key Perspectives
- Dr James O'Donnell, Australian National University: said people are "clearly under pressure with economic pressures" and that while they are blaming immigration, he does not "necessarily see a permanence to that"; he also said the stress is not general anger but pressure that "plays out in different ways".
- The Scanlon report: concedes its headline index can "disguise" important shifts in individual measures, including "increasing strain on Australia's social cohesion".
What to Watch
- Next year's index and whether the 2026 baseline questions on attitudes toward immigrants from Israel, Palestine and Iran move.
- Whether hardship-driven vote switching toward One Nation persists into the next federal election.
- Whether concern about AI, at 69%, keeps growing faster than worry about climate change and military conflict.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedThe social cohesion index is 78 out of 100, unchanged since 2023.World news | The Guardian: “The headline figure, the Scanlon index of social cohesion, remained at 78 out of 100 – a consistent figure since 2023.”
- SupportedAustralians are growing more pessimistic.World news | The Guardian: ““Across all generations, people are increasingly pessimistic about their future.””
- SupportedThe annual survey asked more than 10,000 Australians 100 questions.World news | The Guardian: “More than 10,000 Australians were asked 100 questions by the Scanlon Foundation on topics ranging from life satisfaction and financial circumstances to voting intent.”
- SupportedCost of living was the top issue, cited by 36%.World news | The Guardian: “Cost of living was by far the most-cited issue facing Australia, with 36% of people rating it as their top issue.”
- SupportedAttitudes toward several migrant and religious groups have hardened.World news | The Guardian: “While the social cohesion index remained steady, several key measures of cultural diversity have eroded.”
- SupportedThe report links financial hardship with voters shifting toward One Nation.World news | The Guardian: “The Scanlon report found this is changing votes. “Among people who voted for Labor or the Coalition at the 2025 federal election, we estimate that 47% who are experiencing financial hardship now prefer some other party or candidate compared with 36% of people who reported no hardship,” it said, with most of that vote shifting to One Nation.”
- SupportedDr James O’Donnell said, “People are clearly under pressure with economic pressures, there's discontent and distrust, people are blaming immigration … but we don’t necessarily see a permanence to that.”World news | The Guardian: ““People are clearly under pressure with economic pressures, there’s discontent and distrust, people are blaming immigration … but we don’t necessarily see a permanence to that,” said Dr James O’Donnell from the Australian National University.”
- SupportedDr James O’Donnell said, “It's not just that people are getting angry generally. They're really under pressure and that plays out in different ways.”World news | The Guardian: ““It’s not just that people are getting angry generally. They’re really under pressure and that plays out in different ways.””
- Supported62% of adults believe social cohesion has declined in recent years.World news | The Guardian: “Despite the index remaining static, 62% of adults believe social cohesion has declined in recent years.”
- SupportedNearly one-third of respondents expect their lives to get worse over the next four years, up from 29% last year.World news | The Guardian: “Nearly one-third of respondents expect their lives to get worse over the next four years. That’s up from 29% last year.”
- Supported77% were concerned about a severe global economic downturn and 69% about AI, compared with 55% for climate change and 51% for military conflict involving Australia.World news | The Guardian: “77% were concerned or very concerned about a global economic downturn. Despite only 1% rating it among their top issues, another 69% said they were worried about artificial intelligence – that ranked above climate change (55%) and a military conflict involving Australia (51%).”
- Supported9% of One Nation voters trusted the federal government to do the right thing, compared with 54% of Labor, 35% of Coalition and 25% of Greens voters.World news | The Guardian: “Only 9% of One Nation voters trust the federal government to do the right thing, and just one-third believe elections are fair and that courts make fair decisions. That compares with 54% of Labor, 35% of Coalition and 25% of Greens voters trusting the government to do the right thing;”