Australia · sentiment & polls dashboard
As at 13 October 2026 · official data unless labelled
How does Australia feel?
Consumer and business confidence from the OECD's harmonised indices, where 100 is each country's long-run average, beside the official numbers that test the mood. Below, what published polls say, labelled as private context and checked against the data.
Consumers
How do households feel, and do the numbers bear it out?5 of 5 under pressureConsumer confidenceSeptember 202698.4Below its long-run average▼ 0.01 pointslong-run average 100Business
How do firms feel, and is the economy giving them reason to?2 of 4 under pressureBusiness confidenceAugust 202699.9Below its long-run average▲ 0.04 pointslong-run average 100What the polls say, and whether the numbers back it
Published polls, averaged across pollsters (each firm's latest poll in the past 30 days)
Voting intention
Who would win an election held now?First preferences
Labor v One Nation, two-party: 53.2–46.8
Direction of the country
Is Australia heading in the right direction?Leaders
How do voters rate the people who would lead?Preferred prime minister (head-to-head polls)
Does the data back the mood?
How people feel, set against the official numbers households live withThe data backs the gloomThe mood
Consumer confidencevs long-run average 10098.4▼ 0.01 pointsThe evidence: 5 of 5 household pressures worse than usual
Real wagesvs benchmark 0 pts-0.74 pts▲ 0.15 ptsHeadline CPIvs target 2–3%4%▲ 0.5 ptsUnemploymentvs average since September 2021 4.03%4.65%▲ 0.16 ptsRepayment burdenvs 10-year average 8.27%9.4%unchangedRentsvs 10-year average 2.51%3.56%▼ 0.18 ptsConsumer confidence is 98.4, below its long-run average of 100; in the latest direction polls (to June 2026) an average of 57% said the country was heading in the wrong direction (net -31.5). Of 5 official measures of household pressure, 5 are worse than usual: real wages (-0.74 pts), headline CPI (4%), unemployment (4.65%), repayment burden (9.4%), rents (3.56%). The official numbers back the gloom.
Private polls: context only, never official data. Compiled from published polls via Wikipedia’s polling tables; every poll links to the release it was reported in. A poll of 1,000 people has a margin of error of about ±3 points. Every poll →
On target or better than usualWorse than usualOutside the target bandA level, neither better nor worseBars show how far each reading sits from its benchmark: left of centre below it, right above it. See also the economy and quality of life dashboards.