2015 Lowy Institute polling: attitudes to Australia’s aid program

A majority of Australians of voting age are in favour of the recent budget cuts to Australia’s overseas aid to developing countries, according to Lowy Institute polling conducted last weekend by Newspoll. Although nearly one in five express strong opposition to the budget reductions to overseas aid (19% saying they are ‘strongly against’ the reductions), only 35% of Australians overall oppose the reductions to the aid budget, and 53% are in favour of the reductions. Key findings: Most Australians support recent budget cuts to Australia’s overseas aid – but 18-29 year-olds are more critical of the level of the aid budget. This poll, combined with Lowy Institute polling earlier this year, suggests that few Australian adults see the government’s current aid budget as inadequate