Australians show increasing interest in Indigenous issues and knowledge of Traditional Owners

There is increasing interest in Indigenous issues and claimed knowledge of Traditional Owners, Ipsos’ 2023 Indigenous Issues survey has found.

The survey, which was conducted in May 2023 to examine Australians’ perceptions of First Nations’ Peoples, revealed interest in Indigenous issues is trending upward (56%, compared to 53% in 2021 and 49% in 2020), while Australians’ knowledge of the Traditional Owners is also on the rise. Half of Non-Indigenous Australians said they were “somewhat confident” they knew about their local Traditional Owners, compared to 39% in 2021.

Download the 2023 Ipsos Indigenous Issues Report

However, there is less support nationwide for initiatives around Acknowledgment of Country and Indigenous place names compared to 2021, and while most Non-Indigenous Australians view Indigenous sacred site destruction as unacceptable, there is less agreement on a First Nations voice in infrastructure planning.

Changing the date of Australia Day continues to be unpopular, with the majority of Non-Indigenous Australians (59%) disagreeing with a date change, despite the increasing interest in Indigenous issues.

However, there is less support nationwide for initiatives around Acknowledgment of Country and Indigenous place names compared to 2021, and while most Non-Indigenous Australians view Indigenous sacred site destruction as unacceptable, there is less agreement on a First Nations voice in infrastructure planning.

There has been a decline in the perceived incidence of racial jokes and slurs in the workplace, with 35% of Non-Indigenous Australians indicating they had heard racial slurs at work in 2023, compared to 52% in 2021. The survey showed there has also been increased recognition of the upsetting impact of racial slurs, with 65% of Non-Indigenous Australians more likely to report and informally challenge racial slurs in 2023, compared to 2021.

Ipsos Australia Associate Research Director, Nonie Finlayson, said: “Australians’ attitudes towards the rights and recognition of First Nations’ peoples have continued to evolve. It is heartening to see an increasing interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues – Australians appear to be making a conscious effort to know more about the Traditional Owners of the land across the country.”

Detailed findings

Claimed knowledge of traditional owners is increasing

Half of Non-Indigenous Australians have some confidence they know about their local traditional owners, compared to 39% in 2021.Those most likely to be ‘very confident’ are those aged 30-49 years (18%), those with education beyond high school (15%), parents (14%) and those with incomes of $80K+ (18%).

Interest in Indigenous issues continues to rise

Overall, 56% of Non-Indigenous Australians are interested in Indigenous issues. Those interested tend to have higher confidence in their knowledge of Traditional Owners (64% vs 33% not interested) and more interaction with First Nations’ Peoples (37% vs 20%) compared to those less interested.

Only half of Non-Indigenous Australians understand what Treaty would mean for Australia

…however, fewer Non-Indigenous Australians consider Treaty important, compared to previous years. This is driven by a large increase in those who believe Treaty is “not at all important” compared to previous years. Those more likely to consider Treaty as important include 30-49 years (70%), females (67%), Victorians (72%) and those with an income of $80K+ (69%).

Initiatives around inclusion and cultural recognition are trending downwards

Most Non-Indigenous Australians (57%) named a retelling of Australia’s history from Indigenous perspectives as important for inclusion and cultural recognition. However, support is significantly lower than 2021 for initiatives around Acknowledgement of Country and Acknowledgment of Indigenous place names.

Changing the date of Australia Day continues to be unpopular

Six in 10 Australian’s don’t want to change the date of Australia Day. Those more likely to agree with changing the date are younger Australians (18-29: 60%, 30-49: 52%), Victorians (49%), those in metro locations (44%), non-parents (47%), those with an income of $80K+ (50%), and CALD Australians (52%).

Claims of hearing racial slurs at work are less common in 2023

Non-Indigenous Australians are more likely to report hearing racial slurs in public, followed by social contexts and on social media. Younger Australians, males, those employed, and those with incomes of $80k+ are more likely to report hearing racial slurs or jokes across all contexts, with CALD Australians (46%) and those in Western Australia (47%) more likely to hear them at work, and regional Australians more likely to hear them in social contexts (68%).

In 2023, more Non-Indigenous Australians are taking action against racism. Non-Indigenous Australians are also more likely to report being upset by racism and to recognise the impact it has on others.

About the study

These are the findings of an Australian Ipsos survey conducted via Ipsos’s online research panel between 4 – 8 May 2023, with 1,000 people representing the adult Australian population. Data is weighted to match the profile of the population to best reflect the demographic profile of the adult population according to 2021 ABS data.

Where results do not sum to 100% or the ‘difference’ appears to be +/-1 more/less than the actual, this may be due to rounding, multiple responses or the exclusion of don't knows or not stated responses.

The precision of Ipsos online polls are calculated using a credibility interval, with a poll of 1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points. For more information on the Ipsos use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.

This study did not have any external sponsors or partners. It was initiated and run by Ipsos, because we are curious about the world we live in and how citizens in Australia and around the globe think and feel about their world.

As a foundation member of the Australian Polling Council Ipsos complies with the Council’s Code of Conduct. The purpose of the Code is to provide journalists and the public with greater confidence and trust in publicly released polling and survey data. We strongly encourage the inclusion of methodological details in any reference to published Ipsos results.