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  • Feb, 2020

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    Dietary preferences

    Q. Which, if any, of the following best describes your diet?

        Age Federal Voting Intention
    Total 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor Coalition Greens NET: Other
    Vegan 3% 7% 2% 1% 3% 3% 7% 1%
    Vegetarian 5% 8% 6% 1% 5% 3% 12% 4%
    Pescatarian 5% 7% 5% 3% 5% 3% 7% 7%
    Flexitarian/Semi-vegetarian 7% 8% 8% 6% 9% 7% 7% 5%
    I try to limit my meat consumption 24% 22% 25% 26% 27% 19% 32% 22%
    None of the above 56% 48% 55% 64% 50% 64% 34% 62%
    Base (n) 1,056 341 366 349 354 320 113 155
    • 44% of participants are reducing their meat consumption in some way, most commonly by trying to limit their meat consumption (24%).
    • 18-34 year olds are more likely to be vegan (7%) or vegetarian (8%) than those aged over 55 (both 1%).
    • 12% of Greens voters are vegetarian, compared to 4% of all other voters.

    Reasons for dietary preferences

    Q. And which, if any, of the following are reasons why you choose to follow this diet?

        Age
    Total 18-34 35-54 55+
    Improve or maintain personal health 51% 40% 50% 65%
    Limit processed food, additives or chemicals in diet 32% 21% 36% 40%
    Assist with weight loss 29% 29% 27% 32%
    Environmental reasons 29% 34% 27% 24%
    Ethical reasons of animal welfare 27% 34% 27% 18%
    Reduce the cost of food bills 25% 18% 25% 35%
    Dislike the taste of meat 11% 13% 13% 7%
    Manage an illness (e.g. diabetes) 8% 7% 10% 8%
    I have food allergies 7% 9% 7% 4%
    Religious beliefs and teachings 4% 6% 5% 0%
    None of the above 4% 4% 4% 5%
    Base (n) 470 177 166 127
    • The most commonly selected reason for choosing to follow a meat restrictive diet is to improve or maintain personal health (51%), followed by limiting processed food, additives or chemicals in diet (32%), assist with weight loss and environmental reasons (both 29%).
    • 25% of participants are chose to follow a meat restrictive diet in order to reduce the cost of food bills while 11% dislike the taste of meat.
    • Participants over 55 are more likely to say ‘improve or maintain personal health’ (65%), ‘limit processed food, additives or chemicals in diet’ (40%) or ‘reduce the cost of food bills’ (35%), than those 18-34 years old (40%, 21% and 18% respectively).
    • Women are more likely than men to say they dislike the taste of meat (15% women, 7% men).
    • Greens voters are more likely to say environmental (54%) or ethical (45%) reasons than any other political group (both 24%).
  • Feb, 2013

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    Changes in cost of living

    Q. Compared to two or three years ago is your household paying more or less for the following –

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Paying a lot more
     

    Paying a lot more

    Paying a little more

    Paying about the same

    Paying a little less

    Paying a lot less

    Don’t know

    Own home outright

    Own home with mortgage

    Renting
    Petrol

    50%

    33%

    11%

    2%

    1%

    4%

    44%

    49%

    55%
    Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat

    36%

    43%

    16%

    4%

    *

    2%

    33%

    35%

    41%
    Packaged food

    28%

    39%

    24%

    4%

    *

    4%

    26%

    27%

    33%
    Electricity and gas

    70%

    22%

    4%

    1%

    1%

    2%

    69%

    73%

    71%
    Housing – mortgage or rent

    24%

    22%

    29%

    10%

    3%

    12%

    10%

    21%

    40%
    Insurance

    43%

    36%

    14%

    1%

    1%

    5%

    48%

    47%

    35%
    Water

    47%

    32%

    14%

    1%

    1%

    6%

    48%

    54%

    38%
    Clothing

    21%

    30%

    37%

    9%

    1%

    2%

    17%

    21%

    25%
    Education

    24%

    20%

    27%

    3%

    3%

    23%

    15%

    28%

    26%
    Medical, dental

    33%

    33%

    27%

    2%

    *

    3%

    33%

    35%

    34%

    Items which respondents said they were “paying a lot more” for were electricity and gas (70%), petrol (50%), water (47%) and insurance (43%).

    Homeowners had similar responses to the total sample, but the main things renters were paying a lot more for were electricity and gas (71%), petrol (55%), fresh food (41%) and housing (40%).

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