Q. Over the next 12 months do you think economic conditions in Australia will get better, get worse or stay much the same?
| 1 Dec 08 | 23 Feb 09 | 18 May 09 | 15 Jun 09 | 6 Jul 09 | 21 Aug 09 | 5 Oct 09 | 18 Jan 10 | |
| Total better | 21% | 19% | 25% | 43% | 50% | 55% | 66% | 53% |
| Total worse | 61% | 65% | 56% | 37% | 31% | 23% | 15% | 19% |
| Get a lot better | 2% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 7% | 9% | 8% | 9% |
| Get a little better | 19% | 17% | 23% | 38% | 43% | 46% | 58% | 44% |
| Get a little worse | 45% | 42% | 37% | 28% | 23% | 17% | 11% | 14% |
| Get a lot worse | 16% | 23% | 19% | 9% | 8% | 6% | 4% | 5% |
| Stay much the same | 13% | 12% | 13% | 17% | 15% | 18% | 15% | 24% |
| No opinion | 5% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Just over half (53%) of those surveyed think that over the next 12 months, economic conditions in Australia will get better, 19% think they will get worse, and 24% think conditions will get much the same.
The most significant differences since we last asked this question in October 2009 are in terms of a decrease in the number of people that think conditions will get better (-13%), and an increase in the number that think economic conditions will stay the same (+9%).
Males were more likely than females to think economic conditions will get better over the next 12 months (59% v 47%).
Labor voters were more likely than Coalition voters to think conditions will get better (65% v 47%). Coalition voters were more likely to think conditions will get worse (28%).
People aged 18 – 24 were more likely than those aged 55 years and over to think that economic conditions will improve over the next 12 months (61% v 52%).