In brief
An independent McKinnon survey of over 4,000 Australians conducted in June and July 2026 found that 70.4% believe the country is now more divided than a year ago. Confidence in federal politicians and parties has fallen sharply, while satisfaction with the nation’s direction has dipped. The divide by education level is stark, with university‑educated respondents reporting higher satisfaction than those whose highest qualification is high school or below.
A McKinnon think‑tank survey released by Xinhua on 2 November 2026 found that more than 70 percent of Australians say the nation is more divided than a year ago. The poll, conducted in June and July 2026, surveyed over 4,000 respondents about the political system, leaders and institutions.
41.9 percent of respondents strongly agreed that the country is more divided, while an additional 32.5 percent somewhat agreed, giving a total of 74.4 percent for the more divided claim.
Only 30.5 percent of Australians now say they have a high degree of trust in federal politicians, down from 35.9 percent in 2025. Trust in political parties fell from 31.2 percent to 24.4 percent.
The poll showed a decline in satisfaction with Australia’s direction: 26.1 percent of respondents were very or somewhat satisfied in 2026, compared with 28.8 percent in 2025, while very dissatisfaction rose 7.2 percentage points.
Education lines the gap sharply: 59 percent of respondents with a university degree or higher report satisfaction with democracy, whereas only 39.7 percent of those with a high school education or lower do so.
34.6 percent of Australians strongly disagree that they feel understood and represented by federal politicians, up from 27.0 percent in 2025. Low trust in the federal government increased from 46.3 percent to 52.8 percent.
"Australians have considerably more confidence in the institutions of democracy than they do in the politics conducted within them," said John Thwaites, McKinnon’s interim executive chair and former deputy premier of Victoria.
John Thwaites added that the survey’s education split was “one of the findings I found most striking.”
