Australia undergoing historic decline in support for multiculturalism amid rising fear and pessimism, poll finds

Share of people who say cultural diversity has been good for the nation plunges from 90% in 2024 to 73% in 2026, Lowy Institute survey findsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia is undergoing a historic decline in support for multiculturalism, according to the Lowy Institute’s annual poll, amid a groundswell of fear rooted in mounting economic pessimism and an increasingly illiberal and chaotic world order.The Lowy poll is the latest edition of the country’s longest-running survey of Australians’ opinions of the world and their place in it,