Chart archive
Since 2005, the Lowy Institute has conducted annual polling of Australian views on foreign policy to inform public debate. The Poll has identified significant shifts in public sentiment — on climate change, immigration, and Australia’s relationships with China and the United States. In 2020, the Institute released the full history of the Poll’s data for public use.
A
- Acquiring nuclear weapons
- Acquiring nuclear-powered submarines
- Admiration for world leaders
- Air strikes against Islamic State
- Air strikes on Iran’s nuclear program
- Alternative energy options
- Amount of aid given to developing countries
- Approach to Fiji sanctions
- Arguments about unauthorised asylum seekers
- Asylum seeker policy
- Asylum seekers
- Attending the Winter Olympics in China
- Attention on the asylum seeker issue
- Attitudes to China
- Attitudes to Europe
- Attitudes to fossil fuels
- Attitudes to free trade
- Attitudes to immigration
- Attitudes to Indonesia
- Attitudes to international trade
- Attitudes to Papua New Guinea
- AUKUS
- Australia after the UN Security Council
- Australia and New Zealand merger
- Australia and the Anglosphere
- Australia and the financial crisis
- Australia and the United States under President Trump
- Australia in the G20 and UNSC
- Australia in the Pacific
- Australia in the UN Security Council
- Australia–China ministerial contact
- Australia–China relations
- Australia’s 2050 energy mix
- Australia’s approach to international climate change negotiations
- Australia’s approach to multilateral climate negotiations
- Australia’s best friend in Asia
- Australia’s best friend in the world
- Australia’s bid for a UNSC seat
- Australia’s bilateral relationships
- Australia’s bilateral relationships under the Rudd government
- Australia’s climate policies and reputation
- Australia’s compliance with international law
- Australia’s foreign policy priorities
- Australia’s free trade negotiations
- Australia’s humanitarian policy options
- Australia’s influence in the world
- Australia’s influence under the Rudd Government
- Australia’s intelligence agencies
- Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan
- Australia’s involvement in Iraq
- Australia’s place in the world
- Australia’s population
- Australia’s reputation overseas
- Australia’s response to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan
- Australia’s response to the war in Ukraine
- Australia’s role in international institutions
- Australia’s role in the world
- Australia’s role in world affairs
- Australian assistance to Papua New Guinea
- Australian government agencies
- Australian government policies towards China
- Australian influence on US foreign policy
- Australian media reporting about China
- Australian policy towards Asia
- Australian prime ministers and foreign policy
- Australian relations with Pacific Islands countries
- Australian renewable energy target
- Australian responses to Asia’s growth
- Australian values and foreign policy
- Australian views of Brexit
- Awareness of the G20
B
C
- Changing importance of ANZUS
- Changing US power
- Characteristics of Australia
- China as a military threat
- China as the future leading power in Asia
- China as the leading power in Asia
- China: Australian policy settings
- China: economic partner or security threat
- China: emphasis on deterrence or stability
- China’s economic future
- China’s support in war on the Korean peninsula
- China’s system of government
- Chinese investment in Australia
- Climate change
- Climate change efforts by country
- Close relations with Indonesia
- Coalition government report card
- Comfort with China leading Asia
- Concern about climate change
- Concern about Iran’s nuclear weapons
- Confidence in world leaders
- Confidence of aims in Afghanistan
- Conflict between China and Japan
- Consular assistance in dangerous events
- Consular assistance to dual citizens
- Consular support to Australians
- Continued military involvement in Afghanistan
- Continued military involvement in Iraq
- Costs and benefits of climate change action
- Costs and benefits of war in Afghanistan
- Costs and benefits of war in Iraq
- Criteria for new migrants
- Cultural diversity
D
- Data retention legislation and privacy
- Dealing with China’s rise
- Declining US economic power
- Declining US political power
- Defence spending
- Defence strategy
- Defending allies
- Democracies around the world
- Democracy
- Democracy in the Middle East
- Democracy or economy
- Direct action or emissions trading scheme
- Domestic interests and global cooperation
- Donald Trump: optimism
E
F
- Federal government foreign policy performance
- Federal government’s efforts on climate change
- Feelings of safety
- Feelings towards other nations
- Female leaders in the world
- Foreign acquisitions of farmland
- Foreign aid for Covid-19 vaccines
- Foreign aid to the Pacific
- Foreign influence in Australian politics
- Foreign investment and Australian regulation
- Foreign investment by country
- Foreign investment by sector
- Foreign investment in Australian real estate
- Foreign military based in Australia
- Foreign technology in Australia
- Free trade agreement with Japan
- Free trade agreement with the United States
- Free trade negotiations with China
- Freedom of navigation in the South China Sea
- Fuel security
- Future intervention in Pacific
- Future roles of the United States and China
- Future sources of electricity
G
- Global abolition of the death penalty
- Global cooperation during crises
- Global nuclear disarmament
- Global power in the post-crisis period
- Global powers and influence in Asia
- Global powers and influence in the world
- Global responses to Covid-19
- Global risk priorities for Australia
- Globalisation
- Goals of Australian foreign policy
- Goals of military involvement in Afghanistan
- Goals of military involvement in Iraq
- Good relations with the US and China
- Government attention paid to public opinion
- Government responses to the execution of Australians overseas
- Government spending on defence
- Government’s ability to deal with global warming
- Government’s response to terrorism
H
I
- Ideal foreign aid spending
- Ideal form of government
- Immigration after Covid-19
- Immigration and national identity
- Immigration rate
- Impact of foreign policy on everyday life
- Importance of Australia in the G20
- Importance of climate change goals for Australia
- Importance of human rights in Australia
- Importance of Indonesia to Australia
- Importance of other economies to Australia in the future
- Importance of other economies to Australia today
- Importance of positive views of Australia
- Importance of the United Nations
- Important criteria for new migrants
- Important issues facing Australia
- Important security partners for Australia
- India: Australia’s relationship priorities
- Indian student attacks
- Indigenous Voice
- Indonesia and Australia
- Indonesia and democracy
- Indonesia as a threat
- Indonesia’s relationship with Australia
- Influence in Pacific Island countries
- Influence of female leaders in the world
- Influence of the United States
- International reputation after election
- International students in Australia
- Iran and uranium
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
- Performance of the Rudd Government
- Policies of President Trump
- Policy priorities with Indonesia
- Policy responses to Iran’s nuclear program
- Potential Chinese military base in the Pacific
- Potential federal government policies on climate change
- Potential military conflict between China and the United States
- Preference for closer security relations
- Problem of climate change
Q
R
- Reasons against foreign investment from China
- Reasons for not preferring democracy
- Reasons for opposing an emissions trading scheme
- Reasons for reducing Chinese investment
- Reasons for reducing immigration
- Reasons for unfavourable opinions of the US
- Reasons to view China as a threat
- Reduction of emissions ahead of global agreement
- Regional views on US soldiers in Darwin
- Relations with superpowers
- Relations with superpowers: United States and China
- Reliability of the US security guarantee
- Removal of Emissions Trading Scheme
- Renewables and energy supply
- Republic and head of state
- Respect for the United States
- Response of authorities to Covid-19
- Responses to Iran’s nuclear program
- Restarting dialogue with Fiji
- Risks and benefits of artificial intelligence
- Role of the US in the next decade
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
S
- Satisfaction with democracy in Australia
- Satisfaction with the direction of the world
- Similarities between Australia and New Zealand
- Skilled worker visas
- Social media and democracy
- Sources of information during Covid-19
- Sources of international news
- Special forces remaining in Afghanistan
- Spying practices
- Superpowers in the future
- Supply chains
- Support for free trade
- Support for size of aid budget
T
- Temporary migrant worker schemes
- Tensions in the Australia-China relationship
- Tensions in the Australia-France relationship
- Terrorism as a threat to Australia’s interests
- The influence of the ‘West’
- The Quad
- The United States as a ‘world policeman’
- The world’s leading superpower
- Threats to Australia’s security
- Threats to Australia’s vital interests
- Trade policy and foreign investment
- Trajectory of Indonesia’s democracy
- Trump and travel to the United States
- Trust in China
- Trust in global powers
- Trust in the United States
U
- UN-authorised military intervention
- Unauthorised asylum seekers
- United Kingdom and Brexit
- United Kingdom leaving the European Union
- United States’ defence of Australia
- Uranium exports and nuclear waste
- Uranium exports to signatories of the Non-proliferation Treaty
- Urgency of climate change
- US alliance: effect
- US alliance: importance to Australia’s security
- US and UN influence on Australian foreign policy
- US as the ‘world’s policeman’
- US elections and Australia’s interests
- US military base in Australia
- US power in the coming decade
- US presidential candidates and foreign policy
- US presidential elections: Democrats vs Republicans
- US soldiers based in Darwin
- US–China technological competition
- Use of Australian military forces
V
W
#
Themes
- Australia and the Pacific
- Australian foreign policy
- Australian government performance
- China
- Climate change and energy
- Consular support
- Covid-19 pandemic
- Defence and security
- Democracy
- Economy and trade
- Feelings towards other nations
- Foreign aid
- Global powers and world leaders
- Immigration and refugees
- Indonesia
- Relations in the Indo-Pacific
- Safety and threats
- Societal issues
- United States
Tags
- Afghanistan
- Alliances
- Anglosphere
- ANZUS
- Asia-Pacific
- AUKUS
- Australia-China relations
- Australia’s bilateral relations
- Australia’s influence
- Australian foreign policy
- Authoritarianism
- Autocracy
- Blackouts
- Border policy
- Border security
- Brexit
- Budget
- Budget priorities
- Canada
- Carbon tax
- China
- Clean coal
- Climate change
- Coal
- Consular
- Coronavirus pandemic
- Covid-19
- Critical infrastructure
- Cyberattacks
- Death penalty
- Defence spending
- Democracy
- Development assistance
- DFAT
- Diplomacy
- Diplomatic service
- East Timor
- Ebola
- Economic and trade policy
- Economy
- Egypt
- Electricity
- Emissions trading scheme
- Energy
- Environment
- Epidemics
- Espionage
- Europe
- European Union
- Extremism
- Fake news
- Feminist foreign policy
- Fiji
- Five eyes
- Foreign aid
- Foreign bases
- Foreign influence
- Foreign interference
- Foreign investment
- Foreign military bases
- Foreign technology
- Fossil fuels
- France
- Free trade
- G20
- Gas-fired recovery
- Germany
- Global financial crisis
- Global warming
- Globalisation
- Government spending
- Hong Kong
- Human rights
- Immigration
- India
- Indigenous issues
- Indo-Pacific
- Indonesia
- Infrastructure
- Intelligence
- International law
- International students
- Iran
- Iraq
- Islamic State
- Italy
- Japan
- Journalists
- Malaysia
- Maritime security
- Media
- MH17
- Middle East
- Military
- Multilateralism
- New submarines
- New Zealand
- North Korea
- Nuclear power
- Nuclear proliferation
- Nuclear weapons
- Pacific Islands
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Peacekeeping
- Philippines
- Poverty alleviation
- Protectionism
- Qantas
- Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
- RAMSI
- Recession
- Refugee policy
- Relations with the US and China
- Renewable energy
- Russia
- Sanctions
- Security and defence
- Singapore
- Societal issues
- Soft power
- Solomon Islands
- Sources of news
- South China Sea
- South Korea
- Southeast Asia
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Terrorism
- The Quad
- Threats
- Travel
- Trust in global powers
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United Nations
- United States
- Vaccines
- Values-based foreign policy
- Vanuatu
- War
- World Health Organization
- World leaders and countries
Past reports
2026 Poll Report
2025 Poll Report
2024 Poll Report
2023 Poll Report
2022 Poll Report
2021 Poll Report
2020 Poll Report
2019 Poll Report
2018 Poll Report
2017 Poll Report
2016 Poll Report
2015 Poll Report
2014 Poll Report
2013 Poll Report
2012 Poll Report
2011 Poll Report
2010 Poll Report
2009 Poll Report
2008 Poll Report
2007 Poll Report
2006 Poll Report
2005 Poll Report