The latest SEC Newgate Mood of the Nation Survey, which was released in February before the United States and Israel attacked Iran, showed that Australians had entered 2026 with a “markedly darker outlook on their standard of living” amid “ongoing interest rate uncertainty and global economic volatility”.
More people now expect their circumstances to worsen (37%) than improve (23%) in the year ahead, a record high two-thirds of the nation believes Australia is heading in the wrong direction, and 56% feel more negative than positive, up from 51% in November last year:
With the war in the Middle East sending petrol prices soaring and the prospect of higher interest rates, Australians have become even more gloomy.
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