Security and defence

Foreign military based in Australia

The first announcement under AUKUS was Australia’s plan to acquire at least eight nuclear-powered submarines for operation by the Royal Australian Navy. Seven in ten Australians (70%) are strongly or somewhat in favour of this decision, while 28% say they are against the acquisition. This comes at a time when the number of Australians who want defence spending to be increased has jumped 20 points since 2019 to 51%.

The AUKUS initiative was announced by the former Coalition government. The acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines receives strong support from Australians who lean towards the Liberal and National parties (87%), while 65% of Australians who lean towards the Labor Party are in favour of the decision. Only 42% of Australians who lean towards the Greens are in favour of the acquisition.

As the United States is committing to send more platforms to Australia, 63% of Australians are either strongly or somewhat in favour of allowing the United States ‘to base military forces here in Australia’. This is an increase of eight points since 2011, when the former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and President Barack Obama announced the first rotation of US troops through Darwin. Even more Australians (67%) are in favour of the United Kingdom basing military forces in Australia.

Security and defence
Foreign military based in Australia

Question

Are you personally in favour or against Australia allowing the following countries to base military forces here in Australia?

0%
25%
50%
75%
100%

United Kingdom

2022

United States

2011

2013

2022

Dashed line indicates change in mode: see Methodology.