Australians feel poorer and more distrustful of government, annual social cohesion report finds, though support for multiculturalism holds

Summary

The annual Scanlon report on social cohesion finds that the vast majority of Australians still support immigration and multiculturalism, even as more people feel poorer and grow more pessimistic and distrustful of government. Respondents rank cost of living and artificial intelligence above climate change and war as their top concerns for the future, with a global economic downturn and cost-of-living pressures named as key worries. The report says people are more worried about AI than about climate change or going to war.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   4 Nov 2026, 14:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that the annual Scanlon social cohesion report finds most Australians support immigration and multiculturalism, while more feel poorer, more pessimistic and more distrustful of government, and that cost of living and AI outrank climate change and war as concerns.