More than 51% of Australians now consider their relationship with China more important than with the United States, an 8-point rise from 2025, the 2026 Lowy Institute poll shows [1, 2, 3, 4]. Confidence in US President Donald Trump among Australians has fallen to 21-31%, its lowest level in history, trailing even that of Chinese President Xi Jinping [1, 2, 5, 3, 6, 4]. Michael Fullilove from the Lowy Institute said, "Australians are wary of Donald Trump’s America. Less than a third of Australians trust Washington to act responsibly in the world, and confidence in President Trump to do the right thing in world affairs has fallen again since last year’s poll" [2].
The poll surveyed 2,013 representative Australian adults from March 2 to March 15, with a margin of error of approximately 2.2% [1, 3, 4]. It revealed that a majority of Australians, 61%, now see China primarily as an economic partner rather than a security threat, up 11 points from last year [3]. Furthermore, 54% believe China will become the world’s most powerful country within the next decade [3].
Despite shifting views on China, 73% of Australians still consider the US-Australia alliance crucial for national security, though this is down 7 points from 2025 and 10 points from 2024 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Support for the AUKUS security pact involving the US, Australia, and the UK remains strong at 68% [1, 2, 4]. Australians also back measures against potential Chinese aggression toward Taiwan, with 54% supporting working with allies to prevent force and 60% backing joint naval aid if China imposes a blockade [3].
The poll also found rising security concerns, with a majority of Australians feeling "unsafe" or "very unsafe" in 2026 [1, 2, 4]. Meanwhile, support for cultural diversity has declined sharply. Charles Lyons-Jones from the Lowy Institute noted, "The largest single movement on any societal question in the poll’s 22-year history is on cultural diversity. The proportion of Australians who say that cultural diversity has been good for the country has fallen 17 points over the past two years – a shift without precedent in our polling" [2].
Globally, Pew Research Center's survey across 36 countries found median confidence in Trump at 23%, the lowest among major leaders surveyed, with only 18% confidence in Australia itself [6]. Some sources state trust in China among Australians has risen to 28%, nearly matching US trust at 31%, while others say trust in China remains lower but is improving [1, 2, 3].
The Lowy Institute poll offered a detailed snapshot of Australian attitudes toward major powers, security, and societal issues as of early 2026 [1, 3, 4].
