This week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released its refreshed General Social Survey. It tells a story economic indicators can’t capture.

On almost every measure of how Australians experience their lives – trust, connection, cultural openness, financial security, even how healthy we feel – things have gotten worse since the last survey in 2020, which was conducted during COVID.

The survey results, collected in May and June 2025, show that many aspects of Australian life are shifting.

Compared to the previous General Social Survey in 2020, the new data reveal:

● Cultural tolerance is high, but dropping: 75% of people think it’s good for society to include different cultures, down from 85%.

● Trust in people and systems is falling: 50% agree others can be trusted (down from 61%), and 61% trust the healthcare system (down from 76%).

● Financial stress is rising: one in four households (25%) have at least one cash flow problem in the past year, up from one in five (21%). For single parents with dependents, it’s closer to one in two (48%).

● Fewer people feel healthy: 49% report their health as excellent or very good, down from 54%.

Almost one in ten Australians (9%) report very high mental distress. This is more common in women than men (10% vs 7%), especially in those aged 15–24 (17% of women vs 6% of men).

Although collected differently, mental distress rates are higher than previous ABS survey data from 2020–22, where only 6% reported very high levels.

How........

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