Nearly One-Third of Australians Expect Their Lives to Worsen, Survey Finds

Nearly one-third of Australians expect their lives to get worse over the next four years, up from 29% last year, according to the 2026 Scanlon report on social cohesion (how connected people feel to each other and to society). Pessimism about Australia's future rose to 48%, from 43% in 2025. The survey covered more than 10,000 people.