Australian foreign policy

Australia's reputation overseas

Australians are overwhelmingly positive about the effect on their country’s reputation overseas from Australia’s handling of Covid-19. Almost all Australians (96%) say Australia’s response to Covid-19 will have a ‘very positive’ or ‘positive’ influence on Australia’s reputation in the world. This is almost the same number as those that say Australia has handled Covid-19 very or fairly well (95%). The majority of Australians (57%) say the influence of Australia’s Covid-19 response on Australia’s reputation will be ‘very positive’.

The vast majority of Australians also agree that Australia’s diplomatic service (84%), foreign aid (83%) and defence force (82%) have a positive influence on our reputation overseas.

One area of foreign policy has had a less positive effect on Australia’s reputation abroad, according to most Australians. A majority (53%) say that Australia’s climate change policy has a negative influence on Australia’s reputation overseas. This issue is divisive, however: 44% of Australians think national climate change policy has a ‘very positive’ or ‘positive’ influence on Australia’s reputation overseas. This is higher than the number in 2020 (33%) who said in response to a slightly differently-worded question that Australia’s ‘approach to climate change’ had a positive effect on its reputation on the world.

Australian foreign policy
Australia's reputation overseas

Question

Now a question about Australia’s reputation overseas. Do you think each of the following factors have had a positive or negative influence on Australia’s reputation overseas?

This question was asked in 2021.

0%
25%
50%
75%
100%

Australia's response to Covid-19

Australia's foreign aid

Australia's defence force

Australia's diplomatic service

Australia's climate change policy