Executive summary
Global powers and world leaders
With US President Donald Trump now in the White House, Australians’ trust in the United States has fallen sharply. Only 36% of the public express any level of trust in America to act responsibly in the world, a 20-point drop since last year and the lowest level on record. The Lowy Institute’s feelings thermometer registered a nine-degree drop in feelings of warmth towards the United States (50°), and President Trump began his term with only 25% of Australians expressing confidence in him to do the right things regarding world affairs — equal to his lowest first-term rating in 2019.
Despite incremental improvements since a nadir in 2022, overall, Australians remain wary of China. This year, only 20% say they have some level of trust in China, feelings towards the Asian superpower are again cool (37°), and confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping continues to be low (16%).
Australians remain strongly positive towards like-minded liberal democracies. Trust in Japan has reached a record high of 90%, now topping this metric five years in a row. New Zealand again topped both the feelings thermometer (85°) and confidence in world leaders (63% confidence in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon), while the United Kingdom also performed well across indicators (85% trust, 75° warmth, 59% confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer).
Two important regional powers, Indonesia (58%) and India (54%), continue to elicit middling levels of trust. Confidence in their leaders, Prabowo Subianto (28%) and Narendra Modi (35%), remains relatively low (though many Australians had not heard of either).
Australians reserve the least trust for Russia (11%) out of eight countries, and the least confidence in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (4%) of 13 world leaders.
United States
Despite the sharp drop in trust towards the United States, the vast majority of Australians (80%) continue to say the alliance is important to Australia’s security. In addition, more than six in ten (63%) continue to think that the United States would come to Australia’s defence if it were attacked, and more Australians say the country should remain close to the United States (57%) than those who think Australia should distance itself from its major ally (40%).
Nevertheless, most Australians (68%) are pessimistic about the next four years with Donald Trump as US president. A majority disapprove of almost all of Mr Trump’s policies that we tested, with the highest levels of disapproval directed at his attempts to acquire Greenland (89%), use of tariffs (81%), and withdrawal from the World Health Organization (76%) and climate agreements (74%). To a lesser extent, Australians disapprove of Mr Trump’s cuts to US foreign aid (64%) and policy of mass deportations (56%). Australians are evenly split on Mr Trump’s demand for US allies to spend more on defence.
China
Attitudes towards China improved incrementally, but caution remains. In 2025, Australians are almost evenly split on whether China is more an economic partner (50%) or security threat (47%). However, a clear majority (69%) continue to think it likely China will become a military threat to Australia in the next 20 years.
On policy issues, a majority say Australia should be doing more to pressure China on human rights (61%) and to deter it militarily (60%). About half think Australia should cooperate more with China on climate change (49%). Views on economic engagement are mixed — a plurality (43%) say Australia should be trading at about the same level as now, whereas about half (49%) say Australia should be attracting less investment from China.
Superpower relations
More than half of Australians (56%) believe China will be the most powerful country in ten years, while only around a quarter (27%) think the same of the United States. Similarly, more believe China (58%) will lead technologically in ten years compared to the United States (12%).
Regarding Australia’s relationships with the superpowers, a bare majority continue to say the United States is more important to Australia (52%), while a lower proportion prioritise China (43%). Australians are evenly split on whether US President Donald Trump or Chinese President Xi Jinping is a more reliable partner for Australia.
Pacific Islands
Almost four in ten Australians see their own country as most influential in the Pacific Islands (39%), an eight-point increase since last year to overtake China (34%). Much of the increase in Australia’s perceived influence appears to have come at the expense of the United States (18%), which dropped seven points, while China held steady.
Safety and threats
Australians’ sense of safety has returned to a Covid-era historic low, with only 51% saying they feel either ‘safe’ or ‘very safe’. On the key threats facing the nation, cyberattacks (65%) topped the list for the third year in a row, closely followed by a superpower conflict over Taiwan (61%). While Australians disapprove of US tariffs, only 29% see this as a critical threat to the nation.
Defence and security
As the geopolitical landscape rapidly shifts, half the population (51%) say Australia should increase defence spending, while a minority (37%) say spending should remain at about the same level as now. Majority support for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS has held firm (67%).
Public support for assisting Ukraine remains very high, and a clear majority of Australians (71%) say they would support participating in a European-led peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. If Australia were attacked by another country, half the adult population (52%) say they would be willing to fight to defend Australia, while a quarter (24%) would not.
Economy and trade
Only half of Australians (52%) say they feel any level of optimism about Australia’s economic performance over the next five years, equalling a Covid-era low in 2020. This reading was taken in March, after Donald Trump had imposed or threatened tariffs on several countries, but prior to his sweeping 2 April ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs.
In the context of a number of governments, including Australia’s, implementing green industrial policies, the vast majority of Australians (83%) think the country should make more goods in Australia, even if they cost more. Only 16% of the population say Australia should source all goods from wherever they cost less.
Climate and energy
In 2025, half of the public (51%) say ‘global warming is a serious and pressing problem’ about which ‘we should begin taking steps now, even if this involves significant costs’ — a drop of six points. Australians are roughly split on whether achieving the net zero target would leave the economy better (38%) or worse off (36%).
On Australia’s future energy mix, three-quarters of the adult population (75%) say renewables should play a major role by 2050. As for gas, more than half the population (51%) say it should play a minor role. On coal, the largest share of the population believe it should play a minor role (44%), while almost one-third (31%) say it should have no role at all by 2050.
Regarding nuclear energy, which is not currently part of Australia’s energy mix, two-thirds (66%) see it playing some role in generation by 2050 — 37% say it should be a major role, while 29% say minor. About one-third (32%) say nuclear should play no role at all.
On policies, Australians are in majority support of subsidising renewables (82%), reducing gas exports (71%), hosting a UN climate summit (70%), and increasing the use of gas in energy generation (65%). More than half support introducing an emissions trading scheme or a carbon tax (56%), and a slim majority back banning new coal mines (54%).
Foreign aid
Two-thirds of Australians (66%) say the current aid budget is either ‘about right’ (49%) or ‘too low’ (17%), while one-third say it is ‘too high’ (33%). This is a significant 11-point increase since 2017 for those who say the aid budget is ‘about right’.
Democracy
Three-quarters of Australians (74%) say democracy is preferable to any other kind of government, equalling a record high in 2022. However, this preference for democracy is consistently lower among younger Australians. Of the 15% of respondents who say ‘in some circumstances, a non-democratic government can be preferable’, Singapore is most frequently mentioned as coming closest to their ideal. Meanwhile, seven in ten Australians (70%) think social media has a more negative than positive impact on democracy, while only 21% say it is more positive.
Immigration
More than half the population (53%) say the total number of migrants coming to Australia each year is ‘too high’, a five-point increase since last year. Less than half (45%) think immigration is either ‘about right’ (38%) or ‘too low’ (7%).When it comes to international students, more than half of the population (56%) say the number of international students enrolled at Australian universities is either ‘about right’ (49%) or ‘too low’ (7%). Four in ten (42%) say the student intake is ‘too high’.
Government performance and 2025 election
In early March, prior to the May 2025 federal election, incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (41%) led then Opposition leader Peter Dutton (29%) by 12 points in terms of who Australians thought would be more competent at handling Australia’s foreign policy. Australians were almost evenly split on whether Peter Dutton (35%) or Anthony Albanese (34%) would be better at managing Australia’s relationship with the United States and Donald Trump, while Mr Albanese (45%) enjoyed a 20-point lead over Mr Dutton (25%) on managing the relationship with China and Xi Jinping.
On foreign policy-related issues, Labor was favoured most clearly over the Liberal–National Coalition on human rights (25-point lead) and climate change (21-point lead), and to a lesser extent on responding to the Russia–Ukraine war (eight-point lead) and the Israel–Hamas conflict (four-point lead). By contrast, the Coalition was preferred on maintaining a capable defence force (six-point lead). Responses were more evenly divided on managing immigration (two-point lead for the Coalition) and the economy (two-point lead for Labor).