Australia celebrates the value of mateship, but distrust between the population has grown to the highest level reported this decade. Source: SBS News.
A survey of over 3500 people, conducted by the Australian National University in June, suggests Australians trust each other less than they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nicholas Biddle, head of ANU’s School of Politics and International Relations, said some of the findings were concerning.
“Worryingly, interpersonal trust among Australians has fallen to 5.32 on a scale of 0 to 10 — the lowest value recorded in ANUpoll during the 2020s,’’ Professor Biddle said.
“This sits below the pre-COVID value of 5.53 recorded in October 2019 and reverses the increase in trust observed during the pandemic.”
Researchers asked participants three questions: whether they believed most people could be trusted, whether someone would take advantage of them if given the chance, and whether people are generally helpful or selfish in their choices.
While the results for all three indicated declining trust, the most dramatic decrease was in belief that others can be trusted, Professor Biddle said.
He also noted that trust remains strongest among “older Australians, degree holders and the employed”.
The findings follow data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ General Social Survey from 2025 that found half of Australians felt others could be trusted – compared to 61 per cent in 2020.
The ANU poll also found that between March and June of 2026, life satisfaction in Australia plateaued at 6.22 out of 10.
Over the same period, the proportion of those who experienced difficult or very difficult levels of financial stress decreased slightly from 34.9 per cent in March to 33 per cent in June.
Australians also were found to be more dissatisfied than satisfied with the direction of the nation in 2026, compared with January 2020.
While it’s the lowest reported rate since January 2023, in-principle support of democracy increased from 66.9 per cent in May 2025 to 72 per cent in June 2026.
FULL STORY
An issue of trust: The ‘worrying’ problem Australia faces (SBS News)
