Essential Report
Last 12 months
Q. Thinking about the last 12 months, has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
Total good | Total bad | NET | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | 2017 NET | |||
The Australian economy | 32% | 26% | +6 | 6% | 26% | 36% | 21% | 5% | 6% | +11 | ||
Australian politics in general | 15% | 65% | -50 | 3% | 12% | 16% | 32% | 33% | 4% | -36 | ||
The Australian Government | 16% | 57% | -41 | 4% | 12% | 22% | 30% | 27% | 5% | na | ||
Large companies and corporations | 31% | 22% | +9 | 6% | 25% | 37% | 16% | 6% | 11% | +22 | ||
Small business | 29% | 23% | +6 | 4% | 25% | 39% | 18% | 5% | 9% | -2 | ||
Trade unions | 21% | 23% | -2 | 3% | 18% | 39% | 14% | 9% | 17% | -7 | ||
The average Australian | 28% | 29% | -1 | 4% | 24% | 37% | 23% | 6% | 6% | -6 | ||
Your personal financial situation | 30% | 30% | – | 5% | 25% | 36% | 18% | 12% | 4% | +1 | ||
Your workplace (workers) | 46% | 18% | +28 | 9% | 37% | 32% | 12% | 6% | 4% | +34 | ||
You and your family overall | 46% | 18% | +28 | 11% | 35% | 33% | 13% | 5% | 3% | +27 | ||
The planet | 19% | 38% | -19 | 4% | 15% | 38% | 27% | 11% | 6% | -22 | ||
The Australian cricket team | 30% | 28% | +2 | 5% | 25% | 33% | 21% | 7% | 10% | na |
Respondents believed that 2018 has been a relatively good year for your workplace (+28) and you and your family overall (+28). It was considered a particularly bad year for Australian politics in general (-50) and the Australian Government (-41).
Relative to 2017 (as measured in December last year), this year was considered somewhat worse in terms of – Australian politics in general (down 14) and large companies (down 13). However, it was considered a little better for small business (up 8).

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
Sign up for updates
Receive the Essential Report in your inbox.Essential Tags
2PP
Abbott
ALP
Anthony Albanese
Approval of opposition leader
Approval of Tony Abbott
asylum seekers
Australian economy
Bill Shorten
Carbon Tax
climate change
coronavirus
covid-19
economy
Education
Election
EMC
environment
ER
Essential Media
Essential Report
Federal Budget
Federal Government
federal politics
Gillard
Greens
Julia Gillard
kevin rudd
Labor
Labor Party
Liberal
Liberal Party
Liberals
mining
Nationals
Opposition leader
peter lewis
Polling
polls
Prime Minister
Scott Morrison
tony abbott
two party preferred
voting
Voting intention
Recent Comments
