Almost half of young Australian men do not agree that people can freely express their political opinions, according to new research.
The 2026 McKinnon Index also shows more than a quarter of men aged 18-24 believe violence can sometimes be justified to advance a cause.
The findings show almost three-quarters of Australians believe the country has become more divided over the past year.
Here’s what else the research found.
Background
The McKinnon Index was first published in 2025 as an annual snapshot of Australia’s democratic health.
It measures public trust in politicians and government, how effectively the political system works and how Australians feel about participating in democracy.
The research is conducted by market researcher Roy Morgan, which surveyed 4,273 Australians aged 18 and over between 19 June and 21 July this year.
*The survey was conducted before the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines.
Findings
The Index covers trust in politicians, confidence in democracy and attitudes towards political expression.
McKinnon Executive Director of Democracy Tom Mooney said the findings around young men should be taken seriously, adding: “Every Australian should want to understand why and help turn it around.”
Key findings:
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- “Extreme measures, such as violence, can sometimes be justified to advance a cause I care about.” Young men: 27.5% agree. Young women: 16.9% agree.
- “Australia is more divided than 12 months ago.” 18 to 24s: 58.7%. National avg.: 74.4%.
- “People can freely express political opinions in Australia.” Men aged 18-24 who agree: 49.8% this year, 72.6% last year.
- “I am confident I understand how democracy works.” Young men: 65.5% agree. Young women: 52.4% agree. National avg.: 74.1%.
- “Democracy is preferable to any other system of government.” 18 to 24s: 54.3% this year, 62.6% last year. Over 65s: 91.9% this year.
Experts
TDA spoke to University of Sydney Professor Susan Heward-Belle, a leading researcher in domestic and family violence, about why young men are more likely than older Australians to believe violence can sometimes be justified.
“We can’t negate that really toxic influence of the online environment,” she said.
Heward-Belle said social media algorithms can repeatedly feed users content that promotes violence, potentially reinforcing those views.
UNSW Professor Gabriele Gratton said the findings reflect a broader global trend, with young people in established democracies increasingly questioning whether political systems can deliver for them.
“Young voters across established democracies are trusting less that democracy is a system of government that can deliver for them what it promises to deliver,” he said.
Gratton said it was “not hard to imagine” that young men and women were worried about an uncertain future and were “progressively losing faith in these institutions”.
