Trust in Superpowers: A Three-Point Gap

The 2025 Lowy Institute poll of 2,000 Australians reveals that trust in the United States has fallen to a record low of 31%, while trust in China has risen to 28%. This narrows the trust gap between the two nations to just three percentage points, down from 53 points in 2022.

For the first time, both superpowers are distrusted in similar measure.

Trust in Leaders

• 21% of Australians trust US President Donald Trump to act responsibly in global affairs—the lowest rating for any US president in the poll's history.
• 20% of Australians trust Chinese President Xi Jinping in the same regard.

The Australia-US Alliance

73% of Australians consider the US alliance important to Australia's security, a decrease from 83% in 2024. Meanwhile, 68% support purchasing US nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact.

Charles Lyons-Jones, lead author of the poll, stated that while Australians have a "strong distaste for Trumpism," the alliance shows "resilience" and public opinion can "absorb the shocks" from Trump's policies. He added: "China is a clear beneficiary of Australians' waning trust in Trump."

Perceptions of China

61% of Australians view China more as an economic partner than a security threat—an 11-point increase from 2024 and the first majority to hold this view since 2020. Lyons-Jones noted that perceptions of China improved partly due to the importance of the bilateral trading relationship.

Trust in Other Nations and Leaders

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney received the highest confidence rating among world leaders (66%).
• Other leaders with high confidence include New Zealand's Christopher Luxon, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Japan's Sanae Takaichi.

Domestic Concerns

Personal Safety

53% of Australians feel 'unsafe' or 'very unsafe' in the world, three percentage points below the previous record high set in 2020.

Economic Outlook

59% are pessimistic about Australia's economic performance over the next five years—an increase of 12 points from 2023 and 22 points from 2022.

Technology

Nearly two-thirds of Australians believe the risks of AI outweigh the benefits, a 12-point increase from the previous year.

Views on Multiculturalism and Migration

73% of Australians say cultural diversity has been good for the country, down from 90% in 2024—the largest single movement in the poll's history.

• 55% of Australians believe the number of migrants is 'too high,' up from 48% in 2024 and exceeding the previous peak of 54% in 2018.

Methodology

The poll was conducted by the Social Research Centre and released days after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson declared support for a 'monocultural' Australia.