Australians mostly don’t trust Donald Trump or the US to be responsible global actors, and only half feel safe in terms of the state of the world.

These are the main findings of the annual Lowy Institute Poll, which captures Australians’ opinions on the state of the world.

This year’s 21st iteration comes at a time of global disorder and conflict as it tracks shifting views on the United States and China, assesses perceptions of power and influence in the region, and gauges the public’s perspectives on national security, climate, the economy, democracy, and immigration.

Just 25 per cent of Australians said they had ‘a lot’ of or ‘some’ confidence in Donald Trump to do the right thing in world affairs, while confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping remained low at 16 per cent (up four points since last year).

Only 36 per cent of Australians said they trusted the United States to act responsibly, a 20-point drop since last year and the lowest level on record. Two-thirds of Australians (68 per cent) are pessimistic about the next four years with Donald Trump as US president.

Slightly more than half (51 per cent) of Australians said they felt either ‘safe’ or ‘very safe’ when thinking about the state of the world. Meanwhile, only half of Australians (52 per cent) said they feel any level of optimism about Australia’s economic performance over the next five years, both results equalling COVID-era lows from 2020.

Most Australians (83 per cent) said Australia should make more goods in Australia, even if they cost more. The vast majority (82 per cent) also supported renewable energy subsidies.

Half of the public (51 per cent) saw global warming as a serious and pressing problem about which we should begin taking steps now, even if this involved significant costs.

Two-thirds of Australians (66 per cent) said that the current aid budget was ‘about right’ (49 per cent, a significant 11-point rise since 2017) or ‘too low’ (17 per cent).

One-third said it was ‘too high’ (33 per cent).

More than half of the population (53 per cent) said the total number of migrants coming to Australia each year was ‘too high’, a five-point increase since last year and on par with the previous high in 2018 (54 per cent).

Less than half (45 per cent) thought immigration levels were either ‘about right’ (38 per cent) or ‘too low’ (7 per cent).

This year, more than half of Australians (56 per cent) said the number of international students enrolled at Australian universities was either ‘about right’ (49 per cent) or ‘too low’ (7 per cent). However, 42 per cent said the student intake was ‘too high’.

Support for Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS remained firm, with 67 per cent favouring the deal.

A record high of three-quarters of Australians (74 per cent) saw democracy as the best form of government, while 70 per cent thought social media had a more negative than positive impact on democracy.

The poll was based on a nationally representative survey of 2117 Australian adults conducted in March 2025. Read the full report: 2025 Report – Lowy Institute Poll