Report reveals nation under strain, but absorbing the pain

However, the latest Scanlon Foundation Research Institute 2024 Mapping Social Cohesion Report found that that while global and local challenges have put Australia’s social cohesion under strain, it has not cracked.

Report author Dr James O’Donnell, from the Australian National University said that in a world grappling with conflict and division, our social cohesion is holding steady.

“While there has been decline in key areas like trust and sense of safety, and financial stress remains a top concern, the continued strength of our communities may be protecting our sense of wellbeing and harmony,” said Dr O’Donnell.

The Scanlon Mapping Social Cohesion Research series has tracked Australians' views on key social cohesion issues, including trust, immigration, democracy, and globalisation since 2007.

The newly launched 2024 report surveyed more than 8,000 people on more than 100 questions exploring the challenges and strengths that shape the nation’s social fabric.

The report found that while social cohesion has remained stable over the past 12 months, areas of concern include the economy, housing, immigration, and safety.

Key findings include:

• almost half of Australians (49%) believe immigration levels are too high – up sharply from 33% in 2023
  
  
• 49% believe the economy is still the ‘biggest problem facing our country today’
  
  
• trust in government and the political system has continued to decline since the pandemic with just one in three Australians (33%) trusting the Federal Government to do the right thing
  
  
• 61% of Australians don’t believe that people living on low incomes in Australia receive enough financial support
  
  
• 83% of those surveyed believe that migrants are taking away jobs or raising housing prices, even though 75% believe multiculturalism has been good for Australia
  
  
• young adults, people with a disability and people who are struggling financially had significantly lower happiness and wellbeing compared to the general population
  
  
• 41% of Australians describe themselves as either poor or struggling to pay bills

The study found the number of economically disadvantaged Australians was even higher among renters (61%) and young adults aged 25-34 (50%).

“Young people and financially stressed individuals feel increasingly locked out of the housing market, and those facing financial hardships show less trust in government, institutions, and other people,” said Dr O’Donnell.

The report found the belief that current immigration levels were too high was driven by economic and housing concerns, rather than opposition to diversity, with more than 71% of Australians believing that accepting immigrants from many different countries makes Australia stronger.

There was also majority support for a non-discriminatory migration policy, with 83% of people disagreeing that Australia should reject migrants based on their ethnicity, race, or religion.

More than 74% disagree Australia should reject immigrants because they are coming from conflict zones.

“Concern about the number of immigrants coincides with actual shifts in immigration numbers and the economy, so does not necessarily indicate an increase in anti-migrant sentiment,” said Dr O’Donnell.

While support for multiculturism remains strong, it has dipped compared to previous years.

More than 85% of Australians believe multiculturalism has been good for Australia, down from 89% in 2023.

The support for multiculturalism was at odds with declining positive attitudes to faith-based groups across the religious spectrum, with Christians, Buddhists, Jewish people, Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims also recording a fall in sentiment.

“While support for diversity and multiculturalism remains strong, attitudes to migration and faith groups point to pressures on harmony and cohesion in a challenging global environment,” said Dr O’Donnell.

While trust in government has continued to decline, particularly since the pandemic, the report found political participation and engagement remained strong in 2024.

More than 37% of Australians were involved in protests, boycotts and/or posting online in the past three years, while 60% signed petitions, communicated with politicians or got together to solve local problems.

Amid heightened concerns around violence against women, the proportion of women who feel at least ‘fairly safe’ walking alone at night in their local area declined from 54% in 2022 to 46% in 2024.

The number of people of both sexes who are ‘fairly’ or ‘very worried’ about becoming a victim of crime increased from 28% to 36% (women) and from 21% to 26% (men) over the same period.

On a brighter note, the report found people’s sense of connection and engagement within their local communities remained one of the key strengths of Australian social cohesion.

More than 82% of adults agreed that people in their local area are willing to help their neighbours; and 81% agreed that their local area is a place where people from different national or ethnic backgrounds get on well together.

More than half (56%) of Australians were involved in a social, community, religious, civic, or political group in the past 12 months.

"Internal and external pressures have the potential to strain social cohesion,” said Dr O’Donnell.

“However, findings (of the report) suggest this impact can be effectively cushioned by the strength of the social fabric – including the sense people have of being part of a community and managing through challenging times together.”

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