‘Discontent and distrust’: annual social cohesion checkup shows exactly what’s making Australia angry

‘Discontent and distrust’: annual social cohesion checkup shows exactly what’s making Australia angry Cost of living and AI outrank climate change and war as top concerns for future, but support for multiculturalism remains strong

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The vast majority of Australians support immigration and multiculturalism despite more feeling poorer – and increasingly pessimistic and distrustful of government, the annual Scanlon report on social cohesion has revealed.

People are more worried about artificial intelligence than climate change or going to war, but a global economic downturn and cost-of-living pressures are Australians’ key concerns.

Economic pain is also changing the way people vote, with people suffering hardship jumping ship to One Nation, according to the report, which is one of the country’s most extensive social research projects.

But, despite rising concern about antisemitism and Islamophobia, social cohesion in Australia has actually remained steady. The lead author of the report concedes many findings are cause for concern, but notes support for multiculturalism and diversity remains high, as does the sense of connection Australians feel to their communities.

“People are clearly under pressure with economic pressures, there’s discontent and distrust, people are blaming immigration … but we don’t necessarily see a permanence to that,” said Dr James O’Donnell from the Australian National University.

“It’s not just that people are getting angry generally. They’re really under pressure and that plays out in different ways.”

More than 10,000 Australians were asked 100 questions by the Scanlon Foundation on topics ranging from life satisfaction and financial circumstances to voting intent.

The report found happiness had declined most for millennials and generation Xers.

The headline figure, the Scanlon index of social cohesion, remained at 78 out of 100 – a consistent figure since 2023.

The philanthropy organisation calculates this number through data about Australians’ sense of belonging, worth, social inclusion and justice, participation in society, and attitudes about acceptance.

“The really important stuff for social cohesion – the sense of belonging and acceptance – a lot of that is built into our daily life. There’s a resilience to that; we’re still volunteering, there’s a high level of trust in the people around us and local communities,” O’Donnell said.

But Scanlon concedes this headline number can “disguise” important shifts in individual numbers, including “increasing strain on Australia’s social cohesion”.