In a survey conducted in June and July, over 70 percent of Australians said the country is more divided than a year ago, according to the independent McKinnon think‑tank.
Researchers found that 41.9 percent strongly agree while 32.5 percent somewhat agree that division has grown. The poll, which asked more than 4,000 people about their feelings toward the Australian political system, also shows that satisfaction with the nation’s direction slipped from 28.8 percent in 2025 to 26.1 percent in 2026, while those who say they are very dissatisfied rose by 7.2 percentage points.
Trust in federal politicians fell to 30.5 percent from 35.9 percent the previous year, and trust in political parties dropped from 31.2 percent to 24.4 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. “One of the findings I found most striking is the divide by education.”
Education split: 59 percent of those with a university degree or higher feel satisfied with democracy, compared with 39.7 percent of people whose highest qualification is high school or below.
In addition, 34.6 percent of respondents strongly disagree that they feel understood or represented by federal politicians—a rise from 27.0 percent in 2025. Low trust in the federal government increased from 46.3 percent to 52.8 percent over the same period.
The findings suggest growing disillusionment with Australia’s political landscape and highlight a widening gap between those with higher education and those with lower credentials.