Public support for ADF remains steady as support for multinational engagement falls, UNSW survey finds

The 2026 findings reported that 69.4 per cent of people said they trust the ADF as an institution, with 65.7 per cent trusting that it will act ethically and morally. This is “largely mirrored” from the 2025 survey, demonstrating continued public support for the ADF.

Most notably, support for Australia working with allies on defence dropped by 20 per cent from the 2025 survey.

UNSW Canberra said that “growing public distrust of the United States” was a key driver of this decrease, adding the public were placing stronger value on self-reliant defensive policies.

“With conflicts raging in Europe and the Middle East, China continuing to undermine the established order in the Indo-Pacific, and threats at home from terrorists and foreign actors, Australians are feeling increasingly insecure in a volatile world,” said Dr Richard Dunley and Dr Nicole Townsend, who led the survey.

“In this environment, defence and security issues have gained greater prominence in political discourse and the wider national conversation.”

Interestingly, terrorism (13.7 per cent) and cyber attacks (29.8 per cent) were deemed to be the largest threats to Australia’s physical national security, followed by trade interruptions (16.0 per cent) and then physical invasion (12.6 per cent).

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“Australians view terrorism and cyber attacks as a greater threat than a major conflict, likely reflecting the lived experience of people considering the prevalence of significant data hacks in recent years and incidents such as the Bondi terror attack.”

“While the findings frequently support these assumptions, they should also prompt reconsideration of some entrenched views held within policymaking and academic circles in Canberra and beyond,” the report said.