“The divisive debate about our national day is over. Support for Australia Day on 26 January has surged, yet again, with more than three-quarters of Australians backing it in, including 83 per cent of Australians aged 18-24,” said Daniel Wild, Deputy Executive Director of the Institute of Public Affairs.
The IPA has today released a new poll of 1,011 Australians, undertaken by independent marketing research firm Dynata, on their views about our national day. The research found;
- 76 per cent of Australians support Australia Day on 26 January.
- This is up from 69 per cent in 2025 and 63 per cent in 2024.
- Just one in ten Australians oppose Australia Day on 26 January.
- This is down from 14 per cent in 2025 and 17 per cent in 2024.
“Australia is the greatest country on earth, and mainstream Australians are no longer afraid to say it, despite the threat of being cancelled by radical activists and the elites,” Mr Wild said.
Critically, for the second year in a row, support for celebrating our national day amongst young Australians has surged. The research shows of Australians aged 18-24:
- 83 per cent of young Australians support Australia Day on 26 January.
- This is up an astonishing 31 per cent since 2025 and almost double since 2024 (42 per cent).
- Just 4 per cent of young Australians oppose Australia Day on 26 January.
- This is down from 23 per cent in 2025 and 30 per cent in 2024
“This polling confirms what mainstream Australians have always known: January 26 is Australia day – always was, always will be,” Mr Wild said.
“Over the past 12 months Australians have witnessed the decline of social cohesion on our streets and in our communities, as well as the unspeakable tragedy of what happened at Bondi Beach. Religious and ethnic division, formerly so foreign to our nation, is now a daily fact of life.”
“This is why uniting around our national day, and our national flag, is a great reminder to us all that there is far more that unites us than divides us,” said Mr Wild.
The release of the poll follows the federal government’s $1.5 million, through the Australian Research Council, to the Australian National University to produce podcasts, school material and policies that undermine our national day.
“The federal government should be ashamed of itself that at a time when it has presided over a collapse in social cohesion, and when mainstream Australians are saying louder than ever that they want Australia Day on 26 January, that millions of taxpayer dollars are still being wasted trying to divide us,” Mr Wild said.
“It is again a reminder that if we do not continue to fight for Australia Day, we will lose it.”
Today’s poll also found that 88 per cent of Australians said they were proud to be Australian, just 3 per cent disagreed. Young Australians (aged 18-24) were the cohort most proud to be an Australian at 90 per cent.
The poll also showed a sharp rise in Australians’ belief that their nation has a history to be proud of up 7 per cent from 2025, to 75 per cent. Again, it was Young Australians (aged 18-24) that were the cohort to respond most positively at 83 per cent.
“For a second year in a row it should give the entire community great hope that despite relentless indoctrination taking place at schools and universities, young Australians are growing in civic pride. This should be encouraged and celebrated at every opportunity,” said Mr Wild.
“The 26th of January is more than just a date, it represents the establishment of modern Australia as a free and fair country. Australia might not be perfect, but it is without peer, which is why it is vital that every Australian continues to fight to preserve our way of life.”
To download the IPA’s book, Australia Day: Why we celebrate 26 January, click here.
