Study: 59% Of Aussies Expect A “Better” 2021; 10% Say It’ll Be Worse

Of all Australians 59 per cent now think 2021 will be ‘better’ than 2020 – the highest positive view on the year ahead since 2009 following the Global Financial Crisis, a special Roy Morgan web survey conducted in November finds. A further 17 per cent say 2021 will be ‘the same’, an all-time record low of 10 per cent say 2021 will be ‘worse’ than 2020 and 14 per cent don’t know.

Australians are far more positive about 2021 than they were a year ago about 2020 when only 12 per cent said 2020 would be ‘better’ than 2019 and a large 40 per cent said the year ahead would be ‘worse’. This comes as little surprise as people hope for a return to normality after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Do you think next year will be ‘Better’ or ‘Worse’ – long-term trend (1980-2020)

Analysis by Age & Gender – Next Year ‘Better’ or ‘Worse’

More men (59 per cent) than women (58 per cent) expect 2021 will be ‘better’ than 2020, although there are also more men (12 per cent) that say 2021 will be ‘worse’ than 2020 than women (eight per cent).

Analysing by age group shows a change in the usual trend of younger people being more optimistic about the future when compared to older generations. Some 56 per cemt of 18-24 year olds expect 2021 will be ‘better’ than 2020 – this is the lowest figure amongst all age groups: 60 per cent of 25-34yr olds, 57 per cent of 35-49yr olds and 61 per cent of those aged 50-64 say 2021 will be ‘better’ than 2020, with the latter group increasing a significant 33 per cent points when compared to 28 per cent a year ago.

Analysis by States & Regions – Next Year ‘Better’ or ‘Worse’

Victorians are the most positive about 2021

Analysing by State shows respondents in all States are more positive about 2021 compared to 2020 with clear majorities in every State expecting 2021 to be ‘better’ than 2020.

After an extensive lockdown, Victorians are the most optimistic about 2021 with 64 per cent expecting 2021 to be ‘better’ than 2020 ahead 59 per cent of people in New South Wales and Western Australians (57 per cent). Queenslanders are the least optimistic with a slim majority of 52 per cent expecting 2021 to be ‘better’ than 2020.

Respondents in Australia’s Capital Cities (60 per cent) are slightly more positive about 2021 being ‘better’ than 2020 compared to those in Country Regions (56 per cent).

Commenting on the results, Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said: “Australians will enter 2021 in a more positive frame of mind than a year ago with 59% expecting 2021 will be ‘better’ than 2020, a record increase of 47% points from a year ago. In late 2019 only 12% of Australians predicted 2020 would be ‘better’ than 2019 in what turned out to be a prescient forecast of the year we’ve all lived through.

“Thankfully only one-in-ten Australians (10%) expect 2021 will be ‘worse’ than 2020, which is well down on a year ago when 40% of respondents expected 2020 would be ‘worse’ than 2019. Consumer Confidence in 2020 has so far averaged only 95.8, its lowest yearly average since 1990.

“Somewhat surprisingly younger Australians are the least optimistic about 2021 with 56% of 18-24 years old expecting 2021 will be ‘better’ than 2020 while there is more optimism about the year ahead from older age groups including people aged 25-34 (60%), 35-49 (57%) and 50-64 (61%).

“The first half of 2021 is set to be dominated by Covid-19 discussions and returning to normality. The tourism industry will be wondering when international flights will be allowed to once again take place. A large majority of 91% of Australians either ‘Strongly Agree’ or ‘Agree’ that travel restrictions between countries are acceptable in order to fight against the spreading of the Coronavirus.”

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