More Australians support a positive relationship with China and India over the US, believing the US has become less trustworthy and friendly.
The survey conducted by YouGov of more than 2000 Australian adults in June 2026 found that, as the global balance of power shifts, confidence in the US has declined under President Donald Trump.
Nearly three in five Australians (60 percent) believe the US has become less friendly to Australia under Trump, while 64 percent say it has become a less trustworthy ally to other countries.
A similar proportion (64 percent) believe the US has become more of a “force for bad” in the world under Trump’s leadership.
Australians believe the impact of Trump’s presidency could be lasting. Half say the US’ relationship with other countries has been changed permanently, while only 27 percent expect relations to return to normal after he leaves office.
Despite concerns, 38 percent of Australians favour maintaining a positive relationship with the US, while one-third (34 percent) support remaining a close ally.
However, Australians are more likely to now support positive relationships with China (48 percent) and India (50 percent).
Others go further, saying we should look to be a friend and ally of China (18 percent) and India (25 percent).
China is expected to overtake the US as a world leader, with half believing China will become the world’s leading power in the economic (50 percent), technological (60 percent) and military (46 percent) fields in the next 20 years.
Despite this, one in four Australians (24 percent) describe China as “unfriendly” towards Australia, and 15 percent see it as “hostile.”
Russia is viewed even more negatively, with 35 percent describing it as “unfriendly,” and 23 percent as a “hostile” threat.
Among Australia’s allies, the UK is viewed most favourably, with 70 percent identifying it as a friend and ally, followed by the EU (47 percent).
Religious terrorism is viewed as the world’s biggest threat by Australians (31 percent), narrowly ahead of climate change (30 percent), and political extremism (29 percent).
There is a clear generational divide, with Australians aged over 55 most concerned about religious extremism (39 percent), while climate change ranks highest among 18-34 year-olds (45 percent).
Nearly half of Australians (44 percent) believe the country spends too little on defence, compared with just nine percent who think spending is too high. Around one-third (31 percent) say the current defence spending is about right.
If defence spending were to increase, more Australians would prefer to reduce spending on public services (39 percent) instead of increased taxes (24 percent).
Australians are not expecting conflict to reach their own shores. More believe a full-scale military attack on Australia within the next decade is unlikely rather than likely.
There is also widespread confidence that the United States (57 percent) and other allied nations (73 percent) would come to Australia’s defence should such an attack occur.
Support for international cooperation remains relatively strong, with 63 percent backing the deployment of Australian forces if the US were attacked, rising to 74 percent if another allied country came under attack.
There is also broad backing for economic measures against countries that violate international norms.
For instance, 69 percent of Australians support maintaining economic sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
And 51 percent believe it is more important to impose sanctions on countries that have behaved aggressively or committed war crimes than to prioritise lower domestic costs.
Most Australians (76 percent) view their country as a medium-to-small power, navigating an increasingly uncertain world where traditional alliances remain important.
