The most comprehensive study of Australian social cohesion – The Scanlon Foundation Research Institute Social Cohesion Mapping 2024 Report – has highlighted strains on Australia society which are not yet dire but are disturbing.

The Institute is an annual survey which gauges Australians’ attitudes, perceptions and behaviours across 1000 indicators of social cohesion, multiculturalism, wellbeing and other topical issues. The sample size is more than 8,000 and features additional surveys of people from Indian, Middle Eastern and African backgrounds.

The good news is that Australians broadly value multiculturalism and the contribution of migrants and migrant diversity to Australian society. 71% agree that accepting immigrants from many different countries makes Australia stronger, while four in five agree that multiculturalism has been good for Australia; that immigrants are generally good for Australia’s economy (82%) and a similar percentage think immigrants improve Australian society by bringing in new ideas and cultures

However, the not so good news is that support for multiculturalism has declined over the past two years by 2% and 7% respectively. In 2024 49% of people say the number of immigrants is too high – an increase from the 33% in 2023 and 41% in 2019. Despite the fear-mongering about possible terrorists 73% do not think Australia should reject immigrants because they are coming from areas experiencing conflict. They also disagree with rejecting migrants on the basis of their ethnicity or race.

Interestingly people who think immigration is too high also agree that multiculturalism has been good for Australia, help the economy and bring new ideas to the country. However, they are also strongly concerned about housing shortages and affordability as the most important problem facing Australia along with migrants taking jobs.

In July 2024 one in three adults (34%) have a somewhat or very negative attitude towards Muslims. This increased from 27% before the current conflict. Negative attitudes towards Jewish people increased from 9% to 13% and the proportion of adults who have positive attitudes (as opposed to a negative or neutral view) has declined by 7% and 8% between 2023 and 2024.

It should also be noted that attitudes to all major faiths are less positive and more negative in 2024. The proportion of with a positive attitude towards Christians has fallen from 42% in 2023 to 37% in 2024. The report says the proportion with a negative attitude to people of any of the major faiths other than their own has increased from 38% to 38% Ecumenicalism seems to be rather falling out of favour here.

The report says: “So, while attitudes to Australia’s Muslim and Jewish communities is a particular concern, relations towards and across all faiths are under pressure.”

Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be much information on the non-religious. Currently Australia’s religious groups are campaigning heavily to stop changing the Census questionnaire from what is essentially an agreement set response to a more open ended one asking whether you have a religion and then asking the respondent which one. They fear – with due cause – that the number of religious adherents in Australia is now under 50% – bad news for all religions and all those who impose religious messages in activities from services at the Australian War Memorial to some Parliaments.

When it comes to the fundamental concerns – financial, personal and social well-being – the experience of financial stress has been stubbornly common. 41% of adults say they are at best ‘just getting along’ and 28% say they often or sometimes could not pay for meals, medicine or health care in the last 12 months.

The report says: “Financial pressures continue to be a strong drag on social cohesion. People experiencing financial hardships are much less likely to trust in government, institutions and other people in society, feel a substantially weaker sense of social oxidation and are more likely to have negative views on migrants and multiculturalism.

“People who are struggling or poor are 10% less likely to agree that multiculturalism has been good for Australia than people who are living reasonably comfortably, 20% more likely to believe migrants take jobs away or raise house prices, and 20% more likely to have a negative attitude to people of different religious faiths than their own” the report says.

This phenomenon is now world-wide and explains much about the Dutton appeal, Trumpism and Right wing groups throughout Europe.

The report also says that Australians have a high degree of trust in community and public services and weaker trust in media.

Unsurprisingly, the proportion of adults who think the Federal Government can be trusted to do the right thing by the Australian people most of the time has declined from 44% in 2021 to 33% in 2024. In case you thought this was just a reflection on the hapless Albanese and the wannabe Trump, Dutton, the survey respondents have a much broader agenda. The proportion of people who think the system of government in Australia needs to undergo major changes or be replaced has increased from 39% to 45%. The poorer you are and the more disadvantaged your neighbourhood brings the lowest levels of trust in government and the belief that the whole system needs major change.

We aren’t quite at the sans culottes stage but the situation is grim and open to all sorts of unexpected consequences.

Yet despite all this more than half of people said they had signed a petition in the last three years; 20% had written to or spoken to an MP; 20% had joined the boycott of a company or product; 11% had attended a protest or march; 20% had joined a boycott of a company or product; and, 26% had posted or shared something about politics online.

However, the report suggests that highly visible protests, boycotts and other political activities seen online and through the media amplify current divisions making Australians seem more divided and dissatisfied than they are. On the other hand, an overwhelming percentage of people – 82% of adults – agree that people in their local area are willing to help their neighbours while 82% agreed that people their local area is a place where people from different national or ethnic backgrounds get on well together. There has been a slight decline here but the results are in line or above averages of the last 15 years.

People are also actively involved in their communities social and civil life. 56% of Australians were involved in a social, community, religious or political groups in the last 12 months. Then there are sporting clubs, charities, religious groups are at the same levels – as they have been since 2021.

One sobering finding is that the proportion of women who feel at least fairly safe walking alone in their local area declined from 54% to 46% in 2024. For men it fell from 79% to 74%.

The report concludes: “The current national and global environment appears to be taking a toll on Australia. Amidst cost of living pressures, conflict and violence at home and abroad, and deep global divisions over issues such as immigration, Australians are more divided on the size of Australia’s immigration program now than they were in 2023, feel less safe in their communities, feel more negatively and less positively towards people of different faiths and multiculturalism generally, are just as likely to be experiencing financial hardship and are feeling more pessimistic about the future.

“At the same time, Australians are still connected and active in their communities and still value Australia’s multicultural diversity. These are important strengths in Australia’s social fabric that are positively associated with individual and collective wellbeing.”