Views towards immigration

26 Oct 2021

Q. The NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet recently called for an increase in Australia’s immigration levels.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

	TOTAL: Agree	TOTAL: Disagree	Strongly agree	Somewhat agree	Neither agree nor disagree	Somewhat disagree	Strongly disagree
Increasing immigration levels would add more pressure on the housing system and infrastructure	63%	11%	31%	32%	25%	8%	4%
Immigration is vital for Australia’s business and economy	51%	20%	18%	33%	29%	11%	9%
Increasing immigration levels would equip businesses with the skilled workers they need to reopen as Covid-19 restrictions are eased	50%	22%	16%	33%	28%	13%	9%
Increasing immigration levels would help to address Australia’s growing skills shortages as the population ages	49%	22%	14%	35%	29%	13%	9%
Increasing immigration levels would create more competition for jobs and slow wage growth	48%	21%	18%	30%	31%	13%	7%

TOTAL: Agree	Total	Gender		Age Group			Federal Voting Intention
TOTAL: Agree	Total	Male	Female	18-34	35-54	55+	Labor	TOTAL: Coalition	Greens	TOTAL: Other
Increasing immigration levels would add more pressure on the housing system and infrastructure	63%	62%	64%	54%	65%	70%	66%	65%	59%	64%
Immigration is vital for Australia’s business and economy	51%	54%	48%	53%	50%	50%	56%	54%	60%	39%
Increasing immigration levels would equip businesses with the skilled workers they need to reopen as Covid-19 restrictions are eased	50%	52%	47%	50%	47%	51%	54%	52%	56%	42%
Increasing immigration levels would help to address Australia’s growing skills shortages as the population ages	49%	51%	46%	48%	46%	52%	53%	51%	57%	39%
Increasing immigration levels would create more competition for jobs and slow wage growth	48%	51%	45%	50%	50%	46%	51%	48%	45%	51%
Base (n)	1,781	875	906	533	601	647	636	610	157	220

Older cohorts are more likely to agree than younger groups that increasing immigration levels would add more pressure on the housing system and infrastructure. 70% of those over 55 agree with this statement, compared to 65% of those aged 35-54 and 54% of those aged 18-34. Agreement with this statement is consistent across voters.
Men are more likely than women to agree that immigration is vital for Australia’s business and economy (54% to 48% respectively).
Minor and independent party voters are least likely to agree that immigration is vital for Australia’s business and economy (39%), that increasing immigration levels would equip businesses with the skilled workers they need (42%), and help to address Australia’s growing skills shortages as the population ages (39%).

TOTAL: Agree	People who say the levels of immigration have been too low	People who say the levels of immigration have been about right	People who say the levels of immigration have been too high
Increasing immigration levels would add more pressure on the housing system and infrastructure	47%	62%	76%
Immigration is vital for Australia’s business and economy	74%	60%	34%
Increasing immigration levels would equip businesses with the skilled workers they need to reopen as Covid-19 restrictions are eased	77%	58%	34%
Increasing immigration levels would help to address Australia’s growing skills shortages as the population ages	75%	56%	34%
Increasing immigration levels would create more competition for jobs and slow wage growth	47%	48%	53%
Base (n)	277	645	694

Those who think immigration levels have been too high in the past decade are less likely to agree with the benefits and business need for immigration.
Those who think immigration levels have been too low are more likely to agree that immigration is vital for business and economy (74% to 60% ‘about right’ and 34% ‘too high’), and that increasing immigration levels would equip businesses with the skilled workers they need (77% to 58% and 34%), and help to address Australia’s growing skills shortages as the population ages (75% to 56% and 34%).
Those who think the levels are too high are more likely to think increasing levels would add more pressure on the housing system and infrastructure (76% to 47%).

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