Scanlon Report Finds Rising Pessimism Over Australia's Future

A national survey of 10,000 Australians finds social cohesion steady, but concern about cost of living and immigration is growing.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Islam

Scanlon Report Finds Rising Pessimism Over Australia's Future

Live Poll

Do you think Australia's current level of immigration is too high?

The Scanlon Foundation's Social Cohesion report surveyed 10,000 Australians and recorded a social cohesion index score of 78, consistent with the past three years. Almost half of adults are now pessimistic or very pessimistic about Australia's future, up from 43 per cent in 2025.

Why it matters

Cost of living, inflation and housing pressures are placing increasing strain on social cohesion across Australia. Attitudes toward Muslims shifted negatively after the 2023 conflict between Hamas and Israel, underscoring how events abroad can shape community relations at home.

The survey of 10,000 Australians recorded 43 per cent holding negative attitudes towards Muslims, with 18 per cent very negative, and 18 per cent holding negative views of Jewish people, up from 13 per cent in 2024. The report does not clarify how these attitudes will shift as the government's net overseas migration target of 225,000 by 2028 takes effect.

The players

Scanlon Foundation

A Melbourne-based philanthropic organisation that has produced the Scanlon Social Cohesion report to track attitudes and community wellbeing across Australia.

The details

The report found 81 per cent of Australians agree people are willing to help their neighbours, and 79 per cent say people from different backgrounds get on well. Cost of living, inflation and housing were named by just under half of respondents as the most important issue facing the country.

2018: 31 per cent of adults were pessimistic about Australia's future.
2022-2023: Net overseas migration peaked near 550,000.
2023: The Hamas-Israel conflict shifted attitudes toward Muslims.
2024-2025: Net overseas migration fell to roughly 301,000 to 340,800.
4 November 2026: The Scanlon Social Cohesion report was released.

Season Trajectory

The 2026 Scanlon report extends a multi-year series in which the social cohesion index has held steady at around 78 even as pessimism has risen. That divergence suggests Australians are holding community ties firm while their outlook on national prospects weakens.

Australians whose communities are affected by shifting attitudes toward Muslims and Jewish people may notice changes in everyday neighbourly relations. Those weighing cost-of-living pressures will find the survey reflects concerns many households already share.

The takeaway

Social cohesion in Australia has held firm, but rising pessimism and concern about immigration signal that the next few years may test community ties. Readers can watch the next Scanlon editions to see whether these trends reverse.