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.
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Most Australians express concern about the country's trajectory, with heightened pessimism about the national direction among minor party supporters.
Nearly a half of voters say they feel the national economy will get worse over the next year.
1 in 3 voters remain wary about their personal financial futures, with older voters more likely to feel pessimistic about their future household finances than younger groups.
This overall pessimism places Freshwater Strategy's Outlook Index at -14, a 3.6pt increase on December.
Australian voters continue to prioritise the rising cost of living as the top priority for the Federal government to address, followed by housing concerns, managing the economy, and healthcare.
Among voters, Albanese & Labor lead as best to respond to concerns related to welfare & benefits, the environment & climate change, and family & community.
Among voters, Dutton & the Coalition lead as best to respond to concerns related to immigration, economic management, national security, crime, fiscal management, and cost of living.
There remain several areas with no clear lead for either party.
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.
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 Queenslanders.
Alongside this, both Albanese and Labor's overall approval ratings have dropped sharply. 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 since April.
In the latest Poll of Polls by Freshwater Strategy, the Labor party’s two-party-preferred (TPP) vote has decreased to 49.5%, a drop from the 52.1% received in the May 2022 Federal Election.
According to Freshwater’s Swingometer, this represents a national swing of 2.7% towards the Coalition. Swings are rarely uniform, but if there was a uniform swing, this would result in a minority Labor government with 71 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.
Latest Polling Data: January 2025
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