2022 observation
At a time when Australian leaders are increasingly discussing the importance of liberal democracies, Australians are more likely than ever to be aware of other democracies in the region. There have been substantial increases in the number of Australians who agree that Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are democracies. At the same time, the number of Australians who agree that Hong Kong and China are democracies has declined.
Australians continue to see traditional partners as democracies. The vast majority of Australians (92%) agree that the United Kingdom is a democracy. The percentage of Australians who see the United States as a democracy has increased six points from 2020 to 87%. More Australians in 2022 also see Japan as a democracy (84%), an increase of five points from 2020. More Australians also now see Japan as Australia’s best friend in Asia.
In line with Australians’ increasing concerns about a conflict over Taiwan, seven in ten (68%) now agree that Taiwan is a democracy, an increase of 16 points from 2020. While trust in India has declined in the past year, seven in ten Australians (68%) see India as a democracy, up 11 points from 2020. Six in ten Australians (63%) also say Papua New Guinea is a democracy, a ten-point increase from 2020.
The Lowy Institute Poll has surveyed Australians on their views about Indonesia for 18 years, and their responses have started to demonstrate growing awareness about our largest neighbour. Lowy Institute polling has consistently shown that most Australians do not view Indonesia as a democracy. In 2022, the level of awareness about Indonesia as a democracy has reached a new record high, with 48% agreeing Indonesia is a democracy, a nine-point increase from 2020. After a year in which media groups have been shut down and elections limited, fewer Australians (28%) see Hong Kong as a democracy, a decline of nine points since 2020. Only 7% of Australians agree that China is a democracy, a three-point fall from 2020.