Data Stream: Australia

Polling with consequence™

Freshwater Strategy’s comprehensive dashboard for Australian voter insights, including outlook measures, national issue agenda and who voters feel are best to manage, support for various energy sources, as well as leader approval ratings.

Outlook measures

Most Australians express concern about the country's trajectory, with heightened pessimism about the national direction among minor party supporters.

Most voters say they feel the national economy will get worse over the next year.

A substantial proportion of voters remain wary about their personal financial futures, with older voters more likely to feel pessimistic about their future household finances than younger groups.

Direction of the country Q. Generally speaking, do you think that Australia is currently heading in the right direction, or the wrong direction?
Direction of the economy Q. Do you expect that the Australian economy will have improved, worsened, or stayed about the same, 12 months from now? 12 months from now, I think the Australian economy will have
Direction of household finances Q. ...and thinking now about your own household, do you believe that you will be better or about the same financially, 12 months from now? 12 months from now, I think that my household will be...
Voter priorities & management

Australian voters continue to prioritise the rising cost of living as the top priority for the Federal government to address, followed by housing concerns, healthcare, and managing the economy.

Among voters, Albanese & Labor lead as best to respond to concerns related to just welfare and family & community.

Among voters, Dutton & the Coalition lead as best to respond to concerns related to immigration, economic management, national security, crime, and fiscal management.

There remain several areas with no clear lead for either party.

Most important issues Q. Which of the following do you think are the most important issues for the Federal government to focus on at this time? Please pick up to three

Q. ...and which is the SINGLE MOST important issue facing Australia?
Best to manage Q. Thinking about those same issues, if you had to choose, which type of government do you think would be best to respond to that specific concern:
Support for energy sources

Solar energy remains the most popular amongst voters, followed by gas and wind. The decline in the proportion of supporters for renewables, has stagnated.

Coal sees significant division based on political and generational lines, with older generations and right-of-centre voters showing more support.

There's a noticeable gender gap in attitudes toward nuclear and hydrogen, with women generally more opposed.

Geographically, support for coal is notably higher in NSW and Qld compared to other states, where there's broader support for renewables.

Energy source Q. Do you support, or oppose, producing more energy from the following sources?
By 2022 vote Q. Do you support, or oppose, producing more energy from the following sources?
By age group Q. Do you support, or oppose, producing more energy from the following sources?
By gender Q. Do you support, or oppose, producing more energy from the following sources?
By region Q. Do you support, or oppose, producing more energy from the following sources?
Leadership & approval ratings

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has seen a steady decrease in support since December 2022, which has brought him closer to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in the polls.

Dutton has gained an advantage in several key demographic groups such as mid-to-older voters, males, homeowners, and Nsw and Qld voters.

Alongside this, both Albanese and Labor's overall approval ratings have dropped sharply. Nearly half of voters now view him unfavourably, slightly more than for Dutton.

While the decline in Albanese's approval ratings had stabilised in 2024, the Prime Minister's decline in favourability has resumed in June.

Preferred Prime Minister Q. Who would you prefer to be Prime Minister of Australia?
Favourability Q. Below are a list of figures in Australian politics and culture. For each can you say whether you have heard of them, and if so, whether you have a favourable, unfavourable or neutral view of them?
Election tracking

In the latest Poll of Polls by Freshwater Strategy, the Labor party’s two-party-preferred (TPP) vote has decreased to 50.7%, a drop from the 52.1% received in the May 2022 Federal Election.

According to Freshwater’s Swingometer, this represents a national swing of 1.4% towards the Coalition. Swings are rarely uniform, but if there was a uniform swing, this would result in a minority Labor government with 74 seats.

With the next Federal election just one year away, and four state and territory elections on the horizon, keep track as we count down the days with Freshwater Strategy's Election Watch.

Freshwater poll of polls The Freshwater Strategy Poll of Polls aggregates data from multiple sources to track the estimated Federal Labor two-party-preferred (TPP) vote over time.
Freshwater swingometer The Freshwater Strategy Swingometer calculates Labor's TPP swing based on the latest TPP trend (see Poll of Polls).
Freshwater election watch Freshwater Strategy's countdown to all state and federal elections.

Latest Polling Data: May 2024

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