Australians have a more negative attitude towards major faith groups and immigration levels, but a new report says social cohesion has remained stable over the past 12 months, despite multiple areas of strain. Source: SBS News.
The Scanlon Foundation, which has measured social cohesion since 2007, released its 2024 report on Tuesday, showing key areas of concern for Australians in 2024 include the economy, housing, immigration and safety.
The report is based on a survey of over 8000 participants and more than 100 questions.
Report author James O’Donnell, from the Australian National University, said social cohesion had been declining up to 2023, particularly with the emergence of cost of living pressures.
The index measures social cohesion in five different areas: worth, social justice and inclusion, acceptance, belonging and political participation.
In 2024, the number given to the feeling of belonging, and a cohesive society, is 78, the same as 2023.
Almost half of Australians (49 per cent) believe immigration levels are too high – up from 33 per cent last year.
The report found these attitudes are driven by economic and housing concerns, rather than opposition to diversity, with 85 per cent of people agreeing that multiculturalism has been good for Australia.
The report also signalled less positive attitudes towards religion, across all major faith groups.
The proportion who felt at least “somewhat positive” towards Christians, for example, fell from 42 per cent in 2023 to 37 per cent in 2024.
One-third of Australians now report they have a somewhat or very negative attitude towards Muslims, up 7 points from 2023, and negative attitudes towards Jewish people have increased from 9 per cent to 13 per cent in the past year.
There were similar declines across all other faith groups including attitudes towards Buddhists (from 50 per cent at least “somewhat positive” in 2023 to 44 per cent in 2024); Hindus and Sikhs (both 33 per cent in 2023 to 26 per cent in 2024).
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Why Australian attitudes on immigration and religion have hardened but social cohesion is stable (SBS News)
