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The economy

29 Jan 2013

Q. Over the next 12 months do you think economic conditions in Australia will get better, get worse or stay much the same?  

 

1 Dec
08

15 Jun 09

5
Oct
09

28 Jun
10

18 Oct
10

4 Apr
11

4
Jul
11

3 Oct
11

26 Mar 12

7 May
12

27 Aug 12

Tot
29 Jan
13

Vote ALP

Vote Lib

Vote Gre
-ens

Total better

21%

43%

66%

33%

40%

27%

22%

16%

25%

23%

22%

29%

50%

21%

18%

Total worse

61%

37%

15%

31%

30%

37%

49%

58%

46%

46%

45%

37%

22%

51%

33%

Get a lot better

2%

5%

8%

5%

6%

4%

3%

2%

3%

2%

3%

4%

8%

2%

5%

Get a little better

19%

38%

58%

28%

34%

23%

19%

14%

22%

21%

19%

25%

42%

19%

13%

Get a little worse

45%

28%

11%

23%

20%

27%

31%

41%

31%

31%

30%

28%

18%

37%

25%

Get a lot worse

16%

9%

4%

8%

10%

10%

18%

17%

15%

15%

15%

9%

4%

14%

8%

Stay much the same

13%

17%

15%

30%

24%

27%

25%

22%

21%

25%

27%

27%

24%

25%

42%

No opinion

5%

3%

4%

7%

6%

8%

4%

4%

7%

6%

6%

6%

4%

3%

7%

Confidence in the economic outlook has improved since August.  The percentage of respondents believing conditions will get better increased 7 points to 29%, while those believing that economic conditions will get worse over the next 12 months dropped 8 points to 37%.  This is the most positive outlook recorded since October 2010.

Labor voters are optimistic overall – 50% better/22% worse.  Coalition voters are the most pessimistic, with 51% believing that thing will get worse over the next 12 months and only 21% better.

There was little difference across demographic groups except for older respondents – of those aged 55+, 27% think conditions will get better and 48% worse.

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