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%).
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%).
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 14 May 2019
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