Programs & Projects

The Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program

The Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program

To inform the public debate on Australia’s foreign policy, the Lowy Institute has sought the views of the Australian public on foreign policy since 2005. The Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program also conducts polls in important neighbouring countries, and more recently, has started to survey diaspora communities in Australia.

The annual Lowy Institute Poll is one of the Lowy Institute’s flagship publications. It is the leading tracking survey on Australian foreign policy, providing a reliable vehicle for understanding Australian attitudes towards a wide range of foreign policy issues, while being independent and methodologically rigorous.

Over the course of the past decade, the Poll has uncovered significant shifts in public sentiment, including towards our most important neighbours and partners. It has tracked attitudes on important international issues ranging from climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, to Australia’s relationships with China and the United States.

One of the best ways to explore the data from our eighteen years of polling is through our interactive site. Copies of the previous Lowy Institute polls are available here.

The Lowy Institute continues to conduct influential polls in several of our most important neighbours in the Asia-Pacific, including Indonesia (2006, 2011 and 2021), India (2013), New Zealand (2007 and 2012), China (2009) and Fiji (2011).

Through the Multiculturalism, Identity and Influence Project, the Lowy Institute has also conducted surveys of Chinese-Australian communities in 2020 and 2021. The ground-breaking Being Chinese in Australia study asks Chinese-Australians about their views on a wide range of issues — from foreign influence and relationships with China, to systems of government and pride in Australian life and culture.

The annual Lowy Institute Poll is entirely funded by the Lowy Institute to ensure its ongoing independence, and its questionnaire and results are thoroughly reviewed by independent consultants. The full dataset is available on the Lowy Institute Poll website, and datasets are also deposited with the Australian Social Science Data Archive where they are available free of charge for public scrutiny.

Experts
Latest publications
News and media
2016 Lowy Institute polling: The US presidential election, asylum seeker policy and methods for reducing carbon emissions
Polling
2016 Lowy Institute polling: The US presidential election, asylum seeker policy and methods for reducing carbon emissions
Most Australians oppose a Trump presidency, according to results from Lowy Institute polling conducted in June 2016. Photo: Flickr user Gage Skidmore. Alex Oliver
Poll finds Abbott considered ‘weakest PM on foreign policy’
Commentary
Poll finds Abbott considered ‘weakest PM on foreign policy’
This article was originally published in The Australian. Michael Fullilove , Alex Oliver
Anxious about China, unsure about the US: Australians and the 2016 Lowy Institute Poll
It's likely 2016 will be remembered as a year of polls: the Brexit poll this week, the Australian election on 2 July, the US presidential election in November, and even a UN poll…
The Lowy Institute Poll 2016
Polling
The Lowy Institute Poll 2016
The 2016 Lowy Institute Poll looks at Australians' reactions to a year of elections − the Australian election, the US presidential election and the selection of a new UN Secretary…
2016 Lowy Institute polling: Australian opinion on British exit from European Union
Polling
2016 Lowy Institute polling: Australian opinion on British exit from European Union
A majority of Australians think the United Kingdom should stay in the European Union, according to new Lowy Institute polling. In a decisive result, 51% of Australian adults…
2016 Lowy Institute polling: Majority of Australians favour a local build for next-generation submarines
Polling
2016 Lowy Institute polling: Majority of Australians favour a local build for next-generation submarines
Australians have strong views on where Australia’s next submarines should be built, with the latest Lowy Institute polling finding that 70% of Australian adults want the…
President Trump? We say no thanks to the Donald
Commentary
President Trump? We say no thanks to the Donald
Originally published in The Australian.Michael Fullilove
2016 Lowy Institute polling: Donald Trump polarises Australians
Polling
2016 Lowy Institute polling: Donald Trump polarises Australians
Almost half (45%) of Australian adults say that ‘Australia should distance itself from the United States if it elects a president like Donald Trump’. Photo: Flickr user Gage…
Lowy Institute Poll: Most Australians would back tougher target to win agreement in Paris
As Paris prepares for the arrival of delegates from 196 countries who will take part in international climate negotiations next week, Lowy Institute Polling suggests the majority…
2015 Lowy Institute polling: Views on climate action ahead of United Nations climate negotiations in Paris
Polling
2015 Lowy Institute polling: Views on climate action ahead of United Nations climate negotiations in Paris
As the world begins negotiations at the Paris international climate negotiations next week, the majority of adult Australians (62%) say the Government should be prepared to make…
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19 April 2023
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22 March 2023
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15 February 2023
The Sydney Morning Herald
6 February 2023