Trust in Australian politicians has fallen sharply, with fewer than half of voters believing people like them have a meaningful say in government, according to the 2026 McKinnon Index.
The survey also found that almost three-quarters of Australians believe the country has become more divided over the past year, while satisfaction with democracy has slipped to just above half.
Trust in federal politicians fell from 35.9 per cent to 30.5 per cent in 12 months. Confidence in state and territory politicians dropped by six percentage points to 32.7 per cent, while trust in the federal government declined from 37.6 per cent to 33.1 per cent.
The findings point to a growing loss of faith in political leaders rather than democracy itself. More than three-quarters of those surveyed still said democracy was preferable to any other form of government, and trust in the Australian Electoral Commission rose to 72.9 per cent.
Education divide exposes gap in democratic confidence
The national results conceal a pronounced divide based on educational attainment. Only 39.7 per cent of Australians whose education ended at high school said they were satisfied with democracy, compared with 59 per cent of university graduates.
Confidence in election outcomes showed an even wider gap: almost three-quarters of graduates expressed confidence, against fewer than half of those with a high school education or below.
University graduates were also more likely to believe people like them had a say in government. The figure was 54.6 per cent among graduates, compared with 41.7 per cent among those without tertiary qualifications.
More than 80 per cent of graduates said they understood how Australian democracy worked, compared with fewer than two-thirds of people whose education ended at high school. Graduates were also more confident about finding reliable information on public policy.
The findings have emerged during a period of political realignment, with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation gaining support in national opinion polls while the major parties struggle to retain voters. Debates over immigration, antisemitism and social cohesion have also intensified following the December 2025 Bondi massacre.
Confidence that Australians can freely express political opinions fell from 67.9 per cent to 58.1 per cent, while fewer than one in four people reported high trust in political parties.
Broken promises were the most common reason given for distrust in politicians, cited by 25 per cent of respondents. Dishonesty was identified by 22.1 per cent, being out of touch by 19 per cent and self-interest by 15.5 per cent. The cost of living was cited by 5.8 per cent.
John Thwaites, interim executive chairman of the McKinnon organisation and a former Victorian deputy premier, said rebuilding confidence would require politicians to demonstrate integrity and deliver results.
“People need to know their voice matters,” Mr Thwaites said. “They also need to see leaders acting with integrity, keeping their promises and delivering outcomes that make a difference to their lives. Both matter if we want to rebuild trust.”
The survey found that political disagreements were increasingly affecting personal relationships. More than one in five men and women aged 18 to 24 said they could not be friends with someone whose political views differed from their own, compared with far smaller proportions among people aged over 65.
Young men were also the group most likely to say political violence could sometimes be justified to advance a cause they supported. The view was held by 27.5 per cent of men aged 18 to 24, compared with 16.9 per cent of women in the same age group and 10.1 per cent of Australians overall.
The McKinnon Index was based on interviews with 4,273 Australians conducted by Roy Morgan between June 19 and July 21. It found that confidence in the public service, courts, independent regulators and anti-corruption commissions had remained stable or improved, despite the broader decline in trust in elected representatives.
