SYDNEY, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Optimism among Australians about the country's economic performance has fallen to the equal-lowest level in 20 years, an annual survey has found.
The Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank, on Monday published the results of its flagship annual survey for 2025, revealing that 52 percent of Australians say they are either "optimistic" or "very optimistic" about the country's economic performance in the world over the next five years.
It marks a fall from the 58 percent of respondents who expressed optimism in 2024 and matches 2020 for the lowest rate of economic optimism since the survey began in 2005.
More participants said they were "very pessimistic" about the economy than very optimistic and overall 47 percent said they were pessimistic -- the second-highest rate in the survey's history behind the pandemic-affected 2020.
The Lowy Institute in April released preliminary findings from the survey that showed Australians' trust in the United States to act responsibly in the world has fallen to the lowest level on record.
Almost two thirds of respondents said they trust the United States "not at all" or "not very much," up from 44 percent in 2024, and the proportion who said they do so "somewhat" or "a great deal" fell to 36 percent compared to 56 percent in 2024 and a peak of 83 percent in 2011.
Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute, said that Australians are "clearly unsettled" by the actions of the second Trump administration.
A majority of respondents, 55 percent, said they have "no confidence at all" in Trump to do the right thing regarding world affairs and 17 percent said they have "not too much confidence."
The survey found that 51 percent of Australians feel "safe" or "very safe" about world events, down from 62 percent in 2024 and the second-lowest figure behind 2020.
On climate change, 51 percent said it is a serious and pressing problem that requires immediate action regardless of significant costs, down from 57 percent in 2024 and the lowest figure since 2015. ■
