March 2026

Download the March 2026 results (pdf, 2.7MB)

Highlights

Housing, economy/employment and health remain the top three priorities, but security and terrorism have moved to fourth

- In March 2026, housing, economy/employment and health are the top three priorities, despite the sharp increase in security and terrorism issues. The housing issue has decreased from 49% to 46%, and the economy/employment has increased from 33% to 36%. The cost-of-living pressure and soaring fuel costs have made the economy/employment issue an even more important concern. The health concern has decreased from 32% in September 2025 to 29% in March 2026. Security and terrorism become the 4^th priority, moving up from 13% to 25% in March 2026.

Road improvements and public transport improvements are the top priorities for transport

- In March 2026, 29% of Australians identified road improvements as the top priority issue for transport. Public transport improvement is the 2^nd highest priority issue for transport in Australia at 24%. Economic and financial problems ranked 3^rd, with 21% of Australians choosing it.

Opinions on transport in local areas are better in March 2026

- In March 2026, 26% of Australians reported that transport in their local areas had worsened compared to one year ago. This number has decreased from 29% in September 2025. However, 12% of Australians reported that transport in their local area is better than it was one year ago, down from 13% in September 2025. People with neutral opinions are at 59%, up from 56% in September 2025.

A lower level of confidence about local transport in the short term

- In March 2026, 16% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year, down from 18% in September 2025. In contrast, 25% of Australians said that transport in their local area would worsen over the next year, a slight increase from 24% in September 2025. People with neutral opinions are at 54%, identical to September 2025.

Australians have slightly less confidence in transport in Australia in the short term

-In March 2026, 18% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would improve within the next year, down from 20% in September 2025. On the other hand, 26% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in one year, down from 27% in September 2025. People with neutral opinions are at 48%, down from 49% in September 2025.

Australians have slightly more confidence in transport in Australia in the longer term

-In March 2026, 32% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would improve within the next five years, down from 35% in September 2025. However, 28% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in five years, down from 30% in September 2025. The percentage of people with neutral opinions increased slightly, from 26% in September 2025 to 28% in March 2026.

ITLS Index of Transport Confidence           

-Compared to September 2025, Australians are less confident about transport in their local area in March 2026 (Confidence index: down from 92 to 82). The same applies to transport across Australia in one year, but at a lower level (Confidence index: down from 88 to 86). In contrast, the five-year Confidence Index has increased slightly from 84 to 85. The lower confidence for the short term but slightly higher confidence for the long term may suggest that the government should consider plans to improve the overall transport conditions in the near future, such as road conditions, fuel security and costs. The government should also continue improving infrastructure and accessibility for newly developed areas following population growth, mitigating worsening road congestion and repairing road and public transport infrastructure.

About 79% of Australians ordered online in the last four weeks, with less online spending

-In March 2026, about 79% of Australians made online orders in the previous four weeks, down from 81% in September 2025. For those who ordered online, the average spending of $352 in the last four weeks is lower than the $378 recorded in September 2025. This record low spending shows the pressure of the high cost of living on people's capacity and confidence in online spending. On average, online shoppers either collect or use delivery services 3.7 times in the last four weeks, with 32% of the time spent collecting and 68% spent using delivery services. Grocery shopping, fashion & apparel, and hobbies & recreational goods remain the top three categories. Out of the times people noticed the delivery vehicles, vans/LCVs, cars and small trucks account for about 82% of the delivery vehicles.

Working people spend nearly 20% of their work time working from home (WFH) or other locations

-Approximately 62% of Australians undertake paid work in a typical week, down from 66% in September 2025. In a typical week, working people spend an average of 32.7 hours working, with 26.1 hours spent in their main workplaces (79.8%), 5.7 hours from home (17.3%) and 1 hour from elsewhere (2.9%). For each weekday, on average, about 74% of workers work in the main workplaces only, 16% work from home or elsewhere only, and 10% work at both locations as hybrid workers. Weekly, approximately 61% of workers are main office only workers, 33% are hybrid workers, and 6% are WFH/elsewhere only workers.

- Of all the working hours, 17.3% are WFH hours and 20.2% are hours spent at home or other locations, which is lower than the numbers in the previous waves since 2023. WFH/other combined percentages have decreased in every state and territory compared to September 2025. Professionals, clerical workers and managers are the three occupations with the highest percentages of WFH hours. The pattern of how people arrange their work hours is similar from Monday to Friday, with Friday having fewer total working hours and working in the main office hours. In capital cities, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne have the highest percentage of working hours from home and other locations, at about 22% to 23%%.

-On average, 64% of commuters depart for work during peak hours, a slight increase from 62% in September 2025. About 44% of employers have stipulated that workers must return to the office a particular number of days a week, up from 42% in September 2025. About 5.6% of the workforce are polyworkers, doing more than one job (up from 5% in September 2025). Car use is the most prominent mode of commuting, at approximately 62.3%, followed by public transport at 27%, and active modes such as walking and cycling at 5.4%.

-About 87% of workers believe that productivity has either increased or remained the same under flexible working arrangements. About 75% of workers also believe their employers think their productivity has improved or has not been influenced by the arrangements.

-7% of Australians own or have ordered an electric vehicle (EV), with 10% considering ordering an EV in the next 12 months. Close to 30% of Australian households own at least one personal mobility device, such as a bicycle, scooter, e-bike, or e-scooter.

Download the September 2025 results (pdf, 2MB)

Highlights

Housing, economy/employment and health remain the three highest-priority national issues

• In March 2025, "housing" and "economy/employment" ranked first and second, respectively, at 45% and 38%. In September 2025, these two priorities still have the top two spots. The housing issue has increased to 49%, but the economy/employment has a lower rate of 33%. The cost-of-living pressure is easing slightly with lower interest rates, but the housing problem may persist as a long-term issue, as it has remained at the top of the list since March 2023. The health concern has decreased from 35% in March 2025 to 32% in September 2025, which may be attributed to recent developments in public health services.

Public transport and road improvements are the top priorities for transport

• In March 2025, 35% of Australians identified public transport improvement as the highest priority issue for transport in Australia. This has decreased to 32% in September 2025. About 29% of Australians said road improvement is the top priority, up from 23% in March 2025. The main concerns of Australians focus on poor road conditions and road congestion, which have been longstanding issues. These two areas are followed by economic and financial problems at 18%, down from 21% in March 2025.

Opinions on transport in local areas are better in September 2025

• In March 2025, 28% of Australians reported that transport in their local areas had worsened compared to one year ago. This number has slightly increased to 29% in September 2025. However, 13% of Australians reported that transport in their local area is better than it was one year ago, up from 10% in March 2025. People with neutral opinions are at 56%, down from 59% in March 2025.

A higher level of confidence about local transport in the short term

• In September 2025, 18% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year, up from 13% in March 2025. In contrast, 24% of Australians said that transport in their local area would worsen over the next year, a slight increase from 23% in March 2025. People with neutral opinions are at 54%, down from 59% in March 2025.

Australians have slightly more confidence in transport in Australia in the short term

• In September 2025, 20% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would improve within the next year, up from 17% in March 2025. On the other hand, 27% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in one year, up from 25% in March 2025. People with neutral opinions are at 49%, down from 52% in March 2025.

Australians have slightly less confidence in transport in Australia in the longer term

• In September 2025, 35% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would improve within the next five years, up from 33% in March 2025. However, 30% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in five years, up from 28% in March 2025. The percentage of people with neutral opinions decreased slightly, from 27% in March 2025 to 26% in September 2025.

ITLS Index of Transport Confidence       

• Compared to March 2025, Australians are more confident about transport in their local area in September 2025 (Confidence index: up from 75 to 92). The same applies to transport across Australia in one year, but at a lower level (Confidence index: up from 84 to 88). In contrast, the five-year Confidence Index has decreased slightly from 86 to 84. The higher confidence for the short term but lower confidence for the long term may suggest that the government should consider plans to improve the overall transport conditions, which have a long-term impact. For example, such plans may target improving infrastructure and accessibility for newly developed areas following population growth, mitigating worsening road congestion and repairing road and public transport infrastructure.

About 81% of Australians ordered online in the last four weeks with more online spending

• In September 2025, about 81% of Australians made online orders in the previous four weeks, up from 77% in March 2025. For those who ordered online, the average spending of $378 in the last four weeks is higher than the $364 recorded in March 2025 and is close to the $388 recorded in September 2024. This shows the ease of the high cost of living on people's capacity and confidence in online spending. On average, online shoppers either collect or use delivery services 3.6 times in the last four weeks, with 34% of the time spent collecting and 66% spent using delivery services. Grocery shopping, fashion & apparel, and hobbies & recreational goods remain the top three categories. Out of the times people noticed the delivery vehicles, vans/LCVs, cars and small trucks account for about 87% of the delivery vehicles.

Working people spend nearly 27% of their work time working from home (WFH) or other locations

• Approximately 66% of Australians undertake paid work in a typical week, up from 64% in March 2025. In a typical week, working people spend an average of 35.6 hours working, with 26.2 hours spent in their main workplaces (73.4%), 7.3 hours from home (20.4%) and 2.2 hours from elsewhere (6.2%). These numbers are close to both March 2025 and September 2024. For each weekday, on average, about 67% of workers work in the main workplaces only, 20% work from home or elsewhere only, and 12% work at both locations as hybrid workers. Weekly, approximately 51% of workers are main office only workers, 42% are hybrid workers, and 7% are WFH/elsewhere only workers (closer to the numbers reported as of September 2024 than March 2025).

• Of all the working hours, 20.4% are WFH hours and 26.6% are hours spent at home or other locations, which is close to the numbers in the previous two waves. WFH/other combined percentages have increased or maintained in every state except VIC compared to March 2025. VIC has decreased slightly from 29% to 27%, but remains at a higher level than the national average. Professionals, clerical workers and managers are the three occupations with the highest percentages of WFH hours. The pattern of how people arrange their work hours is similar from Monday to Wednesday, with Friday having fewer total working hours and working in the main office hours. In capital cities, Sydney has the highest percentage of working hours from home and other locations, at 36%. Brisbane and Melbourne follow at 29% and 28%, respectively. Perth has the lowest percentage of working hours allocated to home and other locations (12%), even lower than the 14% recorded in March 2025.

• On average, 62% of commuters depart for work during peak hours, a slight increase from 61% in March 2025. About 42% of employers have stipulated that workers must return to the office a particular number of days a week, up from 40% in March 2025. About 5% of the workforce are polyworkers, doing more than one job (down from 8% in March 2025). Car use is the most prominent mode of commuting, at approximately 66%, followed by public transport at 23.1%, and active modes such as walking and cycling at 6.3%.
• About 89% of workers believe that productivity has either increased or remained the same under flexible working arrangements, up from 86% in March 2025. About 72% of workers also believe their employers think their productivity has improved or has not been influenced by the arrangements, up from 68% in March 2025.

• 6% of Australians own or have ordered an electric vehicle (EV), with 11% considering ordering an EV in the next 12 months (up from 8% in March 2025). Close to 34% of Australian households own at least one personal mobility device, such as a bicycle, scooter, e-bike, or e-scooter (up from 32% in March 2025).

Download the March 2025 results (pdf, 2MB)

Highlights

Housing, economy/employment and health are the three highest-priority national issues

• In March 2025, housing and economy/employment still have the top two spots but were reduced to 45% and 38% respectively, suggesting that the housing and cost of living issues are easing slightly (e.g., RBA has lowered the official interest rate the first time in over two years). The concern about health has increased from 31% in September 2024 to 35% in March 2025. Considering the recent media coverage on whether the government can increase bulk billing for GPs, especially for older people, it has become a more prominent issue.

Public transport and road improvements are the top priorities for transport

• In March 2025, 35% of Australians said that public transport improvement is the highest priority issue for transport in Australia. Some events might have triggered this increase,  such as the industrial actions in NSW from December 2024 to the first quarter of 2025, causing multiple train cancellations and delays. About 23% of Australians said road improvement is the top priority.

Opinions on transport in local areas are worse in March 2025

• In September 2024, 26% of Australians said that transport in their local areas was worse than one year ago. This number has increased to 28% in March 2025. In contrast, 10% of Australians said that transport in their local area is better than one year ago, down from 14% in September 2024. 

A lower level of confidence about local transport in the short term

• In March 2025, only 13% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year. In contrast, 23% of Australians said that transport in their local area would worsen in one year. 

Australians have less confidence in transport in Australia in the short term

• In March 2025, only 17% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in one year, down from 22% in September 2024. Furthermore, 25% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in one year. 

Australians have less confidence about transport in Australia in the longer term

• In March 2025, 33% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in five years. Furthermore, 28% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in five years.

ITLS Index of Transport Confidence

• Compared to September 2024, in March 2025, Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 95 to 75). The same applies to transport across Australia in one year and in five years. The latest opinions may have been attributed to several factors, such as the significant scale of train cancellations and delays in Sydney across several months, worse road conditions without actions taken, delayed infrastructure projects and increasing pressure from population growth, and lack of infrastructure across the main cities.

About 77% of Australians ordered online in the last four weeks with less online spending

• In March 2025, about 77% of Australians made online order(s) in the previous four weeks. For those who ordered online, the average spending of $364 in the last four weeks is lower than $388 in September 2024. This shows the ongoing impact of the high cost of living on people's capacity and confidence in spending. On average, online shoppers either collect or use delivery services 3.6 times in the last four weeks, with 34% of time collecting and 66% using delivery.

Working people spend 26% of their work time working from home (WFH) or other locations

• About 64% of Australians have undertaken paid work in a typical week. In a typical week, working people spend an average of 35.6 hours working, with 26.4 hours spent in their main workplaces, 7.7 hours from home and 1.6 hours from elsewhere. In a typical week, 54% of workers are main office only workers, 36% are hybrid workers, and 10% are WFH/elsewhere only workers.

• On average, 61% of commuters depart for work during peak hours. About 40% of employers have stipulated that workers must return to the office a particular number of days a week. About 8% of the workforce are playworker’s doing more than one job. Car use is the most prominent mode of commuting at about 61%, followed by using public transport at 26.6% and using active modes such as walking and cycling at 7.4%.

• About 86% of workers believe productivity has either increased or maintained under flexible working arrangements. About 68% of workers also believe their employers think their productivity has improved or has not been influenced by the arrangements.

• 6% of Australians own or have ordered an electric vehicle (EV), with 8% considering ordering an EV in the next 12 months. Close to 33% of Australian households own at least one personal mobility device, such as a bicycle, scooter, e-bike, or e-scooter.

Download the September 2024 results (pdf, 2MB)

Highlights

Housing and economy/employment are the two highest-priority national issues

• In March 2024, 49% and 41% of Australians nominated housing and economy/employment as the top two priorities. In September 2024, these two areas still hold the top two spots, but housing has increased to 53%, showing the housing situation has become more severe. The concern about the economy and employment has remained at the same level but eased slightly with a 1% reduction, reflecting the circumstances in recent months with RBA's decision to place a hold on the cash interest rate. However, people are still under pressure due to the high cost of living.

Public transport and road improvements are the top priorities for transport

• In March 2024, 30% of Australians said that public transport improvement is the highest priority issue for transport in Australia. This has increased slightly at 31% in September 2024. About 25% of Australians said road improvement is the top priority, down from 27% in March 2023. This is followed by economic and financial problems at 22%, up from 20% in March 2024.

Opinions on transport in local areas have improved since March 2024

• In September 2024, 26% of Australians said that transport in their local areas was worse than one year ago, lower than 29% in March 2024. In contrast, 14% of Australians said that transport in their local area is better than one year ago, up from 9% in March 2024. People with neutral or no opinions is at 59%, down from 62% in March 2024.

A higher level of confidence about local transport in the short term

• In September 2024, 18% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year, up from 15% in March 2024. In contrast, 23% of Australians said that transport in their local area would worsen in one year, down from 27% in September 2023.

Australians have more confidence in transport in Australia in the short term

• In September 2024, 22% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in one year, up from 15% in March 2024. Furthermore, 23% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in one year, down from 29% in March 2024.

Australians have more confidence about transport in Australia in the longer term

• In September 2024, 39% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in five years, up from 33% in March 2024. Furthermore, 23% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in five years, down from 31% in September 2023. People with neutral or no opinions have slightly increased from 36% in March 2024 to 38% in September 2024.

ITLS Index of Transport Confidence       

• Compared to March 2024, in September 2024, Australians are far more confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: up from 77 to 95). The same applies to transport across Australia in one year (Confidence index: up from 72 to 99) and in five years (Confidence index: up from 81 to 99). Overall, all indexes have increased significantly compared to March 2024. The latest optimistic opinions may have been attributed to several factors, such as the opening of the new Metro in Sydney, lower public transport fares in QLD, and better weather overall in recent months, which has not caused further delays in public transport or worse road conditions.

About 79% of Australians ordered online in the last four weeks

• In September 2024, about 79% of Australians made online order(s) in the previous four weeks, up from 77% in March 2024. For those who ordered online, the average spending of $388 in the last four weeks is lower than $413 in March 2024.

Working people spend 26% of their work time working from home (WFH) for other locations

• About 67% of Australians have undertaken paid work in the last two weeks, the same as in March 2024. In a typical week, working people spend an average of 38 hours working, with 28.1 hours spent in their main workplaces (74%, up from 27.4 hours in March 2024), 7.5 hours from home (20%, down from 8.2 hours in March 2024) and 2.3 hours from elsewhere (6%, down from 2.5 hours in March 2024). During each weekday, on average, about 73% of workers work in the main workplaces, 17% work from home, and 10% work at both locations.

• Of all the working hours, 20% are WFH hours (down from 22% in March 2024), and 26% are combined at home and other locations (down from 28% in March 2024). WFH percentages have decreased slightly in NSW, VIC and SA, with the largest decrease in QLD compared to March 2024. Professionals and technicians have increased WFH hour percentages, but all other occupations have reduced WFH percentages in working hours. The pattern of how people arrange their work hours is similar from Monday to Thursday now, with Friday having significantly higher WFH hours and WFH only workers. In capital cities, Melbourne has the highest percentages and hours working from home and other locations. For Melbourne, more people work from home at the beginning and the end of the week, with Friday at 37% of working hours WFH/other locations and Monday and Tuesday at about 32% WFH/other locations. The patterns are similar in other states, but there are far fewer WFH/other location hours. On average, 63% of commuters depart for work during peak hours, up from about 50% in March 2024. About 39% of employers have stipulated that workers must return to the office a particular number of days a week. About 6% of the workforce are polyworkers doing more than one job. Car use is the most prominent mode of commuting at about 63%, followed by using public transport at 25.2%, and using active modes such as walking and cycling at 6.1%.

• About 89% of workers believe productivity has either increased or is maintained under flexible working arrangements. About 66% of workers also believe their employers think their productivity has improved or has not been influenced by the arrangements.

• About 5% of Australians own or have ordered an electric vehicle (EV), with 10% thinking of ordering an EV in the next 12 months. About 37% of Australian households own at least one personal mobility device, such as a bicycle, scooter, e-bike, or e-scooter.

Download the March 2024 results (pdf, 2MB)

Highlights

Housing and economy/employment are the two highest-priority national issues

• In September 2023, 51% and 41% of Australians nominated housing and economy/employment as the top two priorities. In March 2024, these two areas still hold the top two spots, but housing has decreased slightly, remaining historically high. There is no ease in the housing situation. It is a growing severe problem influencing more Australians, especially young Australians. The concern about the economy and employment has remained at the same level as the last quarter in 2023, reflecting the circumstances in recent months with RBA's decision to place a hold on the cash interest rate. However, people are still under pressure due to the high cost of living.

Public transport and road improvements are the top priorities for transport

• In September 2023, 30% of Australians said that public transport improvement is the highest priority issue for transport in Australia. This has remained at 30% in March 2024. About 27% of Australians said road improvement is the top priority, up from 24% in September 2023. This is followed by economic and financial problems at 20%, at about the same level in September 2023.

Opinions on transport in local areas have dropped since September 2023

• In March 2024, 29% of Australians said that transport in their local areas was worse than one year ago, slightly higher than 28% in September 2023. In contrast, 9% of Australians said that transport in their local area is better than one year ago, down from 11% in September 2023. People with neutral or no opinions remain at 62%, identical to September 2023.

A lower level of confidence about local transport in the short term

• In March 2024, 15% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year, identical to September 2023. In contrast, 27% of Australians said that transport in their local area would worsen in one year, up from 24% in September 2023.

Australians have less confidence in transport in Australia in the short term

• In March 2024, 33% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in five years, down from 36% in September 2023. Furthermore, 31% of Australians believed that transport in Australia would worsen in five years, up from 27% in September 2023. People with neutral or no opinions have decreased from 37% in September 2023 to 36% in March 2024.

ITLS Index of Transport Confidence

• Compared to September 2023, in March 2024, Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 85 to 77). The same applies to transport across Australia in one year (Confidence index: down from 81 to 72) and in five years (Confidence index: down from 90 to 81). Overall, all indexes have decreased significantly compared to September 2023. However, the confidence levels for the previously mentioned measures are still higher than those recorded in March 2023.

About 77% of Australians ordered online in the last four weeks

• About 77% of Australians made online order(s) in the previous four weeks, about the same as in September 2023. For those who ordered online, the average spending of $413 in the last four weeks is higher than $395 in September 2023. They spent 52% on groceries, clothing & apparel (more than 50% in September 2023). Among the 77% of Australians who made online order(s) in the last four weeks, about 33% of total grocery spending was made online,  a decrease from 36% in September 2023, with the remaining 67% of expenditures made in stores.

Working people spend 28% of their work time working from home (WFH) for other locations

• About 67% of Australians have undertaken paid work in the last two weeks, down from 69% in September 2023. In a typical week, working people spend an average of 38 hours working, with 27.4 hours spent in their main workplaces (72%), 8.2 hours from home (21.5%) and 2.5 hours from elsewhere (6.6%). During each weekday, on average, about 62% of workers work in the main workplaces, 27% work from home, and 11% work at both locations. Of all the working hours, 22% are WFH hours, about the same as in September 2023. WFH proportions have increased in VIC, QLD, and SA but slightly decreased in NSW and WA. Professionals, community workers, and salespeople have increased WFH hours, but managers have reduced them. The pattern of how people arrange their work hours is more similar from Monday to Friday in the national data. A more apparent pattern in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area (GSMA) suggests how people may arrange their work time. At the beginning and the end of the week, more people work from home only, with Friday at 28% and Monday at 25%. In contrast, mid-week days, including Wednesday (68%), Tuesday (67%), and Thursday (65%), have the highest levels of people working from the main workplace only. Monday (13%) and Tuesday (12%) are the days with more people working hybrid at both places. The highest level of peak-hour commuting occurs on Tuesdays (67%). Towards the weekend, on Thursday (53%) and Friday (50%), only about half of the commuters depart for work during peak hours. About 39% of employers have stipulated that workers must return to the office a particular number of days a week. About 7% of the workforce are polyworkers doing more than one job. Car use is the most prominent mode of commuting at 63.3%, followed by using public transport at 26.3%, and using active modes such as walking and cycling at 8.3%.

• About 4% of Australians own or have ordered an electric vehicle (EV), with 9% thinking of ordering and EV in the next 12 months. About 33% of Australian households own at least one personal mobility device, such as a bicycle, scooter, e-bike, or e-scooter.

Download the September 2023 results (pdf, 2MB)

Highlights

Housing and economy/employment are the two highest-priority national issues

• In March 2023, 44% and 42% of Australians nominated economy/employment and housing as the top two priorities. In September 2023, these two areas still hold the top two spots, but housing has become a more dominant issue. About 51% of Australians nominated housing as the most pressing issue, increased from 42% in March. This shows that there is no ease in the housing situation. Instead, it has become a more severe problem influencing more Australians. There is less concern about the economy and employment (dropped from 44% in March to 41%), reflecting the circumstances in recent months, such as the RBA holding a further interest rate rise and a stable unemployment rate. This finding is unsurprising, given the heavy media coverage and debates on related policies.

Public transport and road improvements are the top priorities for transport

• In September 2023, 30% of Australians said that public transport improvement is the highest priority issue for transport in Australia, up from 25% in March 2023. About 24% of Australians said road improvement is the top priority, the same as in March 2023. Economic and financial problems have remained at 21%, equivalent to the March 2023 level.

Opinions on transport in local areas have improved since March 2023

• In September 2023, 28% of Australians said that transport in their local areas was worse than one year ago, slightly lower than 29% in March 2023. In contrast, 11% of Australians said that transport in local areas is better than one year ago, up from 8% in March 2023. People with neutral or no opinions have decreased slightly from 63% in March 2023 to 62% in September 2023.

A higher level of confidence about local transport in the short-term

• In September 2023, 15% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year, slightly up from 14% in March 2023.

Australians have more confidence in transport in Australia in the short-term.

• In September 2023, 17% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in one year, up from 14% in March 2023. In contrast, 27% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would worsen in one year, down from 29% in March 2023.

Australians have much more confidence about transport in Australia in the longer-term

• In September 2023, 36% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in five years, up from 29% in March 2023. In contrast, 27% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would worsen in five years, down from 29% in March 2023. People with neutral or no opinions have decreased from 42% in March 2023 to 37% in September 2023.

ITLS Index of Transport Confidence        

• Compared to March 2023, in September 2023, Australians are more confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: up from 76 to 85). The same is true for transport across Australia in one year (Confidence index: up from 67 to 81) and in five years (Confidence index: up from 79 to 90). Overall, all indexes have increased significantly compared to March 2023. However, the confidence levels have not recovered to those recorded in September 2022 at 94, 91 and 96, respectively, for the previously mentioned measures.

About 78% of Australians ordered online in the last four weeks.

• About 78% of Australians made online order(s) in the previous four weeks, up from 70% in March 2023. For those who ordered online, the average spending of $395 in the last four weeks is also higher than $370 in March 2023. They spent 50% on groceries, clothing & apparel (more than 49% in March 2023). Overall, 63% of online spending is delivered to home or other locations, slightly less than 65% in March 2023. About 58% of online grocery shopping is delivered, less than 59% in March 2023. Among the 78% of Australians who made online order(s) in the last four weeks, about 36% of total grocery spending was made online,  a large increase from 30% in March 2023, with the remaining 64% of expenditures made in stores.

Working people spend 21% of their work time working from home (WFH)

• About 69% of Australians have undertaken paid work in the last two weeks, up from 64% in March 2023. In contrast, the average number of working days in the last two weeks have dropped from 8.08 days in March 2023 to 7.95 days in September 2023. There are more Australians who were not working in March 2023 such as students, those who were looking for work, people with home duties and retired people doing few hours of work. This change has increased the size of the working population but reduced average working hours.

• Of all the working hours, 21% are WFH hours, which has decreased from 27% in March 2023. This change was primarily related to changes in working patterns in two occupations: professionals and sales. Professionals have lowered the WFH proportion from 35% in March 2023 to 21% in September 2023. During the same period, sales workers have reduced the WFH proportion from 28% to 15%. For the other occupations, such as managers, technicians, community workers and clerical/admin workers, the WFH proportions have either remained stable or changed slightly. Since professionals and sales workers account for over 37% of the total working population, their WFH proportions significantly impact the overall average WFH level.

• Wednesday, Monday and Tuesday have the highest levels of WFH, with 63%, 61%, and 60% of those who WFH during weekdays working from home on these three days. In contrast, only 52% and 55% of employees WFH work from home on Friday or Thursday during weekdays. Over 90% of those who WFH during weekends work from home on Saturdays.

• About 42% of employers have stipulated that workers must return to the office a particular number of days during a week.

• About 94.7% of people who WFH have made some trips for purposes such as leisure, shopping, or other personal businesses on the same days that they WFH. Driving, walking and taking trains are the three top transport modes.

Download the March 2023 results (pdf, 2MB)

Highlights

• In September 2022, 47% of Australians nominated health as the top priority, given that Australians were still in the last wave of the Omicron variant. In March 2023, only 37% of Australians nominated health, with a 10% reduction. Economy and employment (44%) and housing (42%) are rising as top priorities. Housing has increased from 33% to 42% from the last wave. This finding is unsurprising, given the recent heavy media coverage of these two issues.

• In March 2022, 24% of Australians said that road improvement is the highest priority issue for transport in Australia, up from 19% in September 2022. There are 25% of Australians said public transport improvement has the top priority. Economic and financial problems have increased to 21% from 19% in September 2022 due to higher petrol costs and rising public transport fares.

• In March 2023, 29% of Australians said that transport in their local areas was worse than one year ago, slightly lower than 30% in September 2022. In contrast, only 8% of Australians said that transport in local areas is better than one year ago, down from 10% in September 2022. People with neutral or no opinions have increased from 61% in September 2022 to 63% in March 2023.

• In March 2023, 14% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year, down from 18% in September 2022.

• In March 2023, only 14% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in one year, down from 19% in September 2022. In contrast, 29% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would worsen in one year, up from 24% in September 2022.

• In March 2023, 29% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would improve in five years, down from 36% in September 2022. In contrast, 29% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would worsen in five years, up from 23% in September 2022.

• Compared to September 2022, in March 2023, Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 94 to 76). The same is true for transport across Australia in one year (Confidence index: down from 91 to 67) and in five years (Confidence index: down from 96 to 79). Overall, all indexes have decreased significantly compared to September 2022.

• About 70% of Australians made online order(s) in the previous four weeks, down from 76% in September 2022. For those who ordered online, the average spending of $370 in the last four weeks is almost identical to $375 in September 2022. They spent 49% on groceries, clothing & apparel (more than 47% in September 2022). Overall, 65% of online spending is delivered to home or other places, slightly less than 67% in September 2022. However, 59% of online grocery shopping is delivered, more than 57% in September 2022. Among the 70% of Australians who made online order(s) in the last four weeks, nearly 30% of total grocery spending was made online, with the remaining 70% of expenditures made in stores.

• Of the 64% of Australians who have undertaken paid work in the last two weeks, they worked an average of 8.08 days. Both figures are almost identical to the figures in September 2022. Of all the working hours, 27% are WFH hours, which increased slightly from 26% in September 2022. Working people in NSW, VIC and QLD spent 27%, 34% and 28% of working hours WFH, respectively. These figures are higher in capital cities, with 31%, 35% and 33% in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, respectively. Professionals and managers work from home more than other occupations, with about three days in the last two weeks WFH. About 88% of people who work from home have made some trips for purposes such as leisure, shopping, or other personal businesses during WFH days. Driving, walking and taking trains are the three top transport modes.

Highlights

• 47% of Australians nominated health and 43% selected economy and employment as one of Australia's two highest priority issues today.

• 29% of Australians said that the highest priority issue for transport in Australia is public transport improvements, up from 25% in March 2022. Economic and financial problems have increased to 19% from 16% in March 2022 due to higher living and energy costs.

• 30% of Australians said that transport in their local areas was worse than one year ago, up from 26% in March 2022. In contrast, 10% of Australians said that transport in local areas is better than one year ago, up from 7% in March 2022. People with neutral or no opinions have decreased from 67% in March 2022 to 61% in September 2022.

• 18% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year's time, up from 14% in March 2022. 

• 19% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would be better in one year, up from 15% in March 2022.

• 36% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would be better in five years, up from 31% in March 2022.

• Compared to the launch of TOPS in March 2010; in March 2022, Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 100 to 94), have less confidence across Australia in one year's time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 91), and have less confidence in five years' time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 96). However, all indexes have increased significantly compared to March 2022.

• Over 76% of Australians made online order(s) in the previous four weeks, an increase of 3% from March 2022. Online shoppers spent $375 on average, with 47% on groceries, clothing & apparel. Across product categories, 55% to 77% of online spending is delivered to home or other places.

• Working people spend 26% of their work time working from home (WFH). Of the 63% of respondents who have undertaken paid work in the last two weeks, they worked on average 8.09 days. 26% of all working hours are WFH hours, decreased from 43% from March 2022. Working people in NSW and VIC spent about 30% of working hours WFH, the highest among all states. Professionals, managers, and clerical/admin workers work from home more than other workers.

Download the March 2022 results (pdf, 1.8MB)

Highlights

• 46% of Australians nominated health and 36% selected economy and employment as one of Australia's two highest priority issues today. However, both areas have dropped from the levels in September 2021. Housing becomes the third-highest ranked priority at 32%, up from 20% in September 2021.

• 25% of Australians said that the highest priority issue for transport in Australia is public transport improvements, up slightly from 24% in September 2021. Road improvements (21%) is the second-highest priority. Economic and financial issues have increased to 16% from 7% in September 2021 predominantly due to the high petrol costs.

• 26% of Australians said that transport in their local areas is worse than one year ago, up from 21% in September 2021.

• 14% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year's time, down from 16% in September 2021.

• 15% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would be better in one year, down from 17% in September 2021.

• 31% of Australians thought that transport in Australia would be better in five years, down from 35% in September 2021.

• Compared to the launch of TOPS in March 2010; in March 2022, Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 100 to 84), have less confidence across Australia in one year's time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 80), and have less confidence in five years' time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 89).

• 73% of Australians made online order(s) in the last four weeks among all respondents asked. On average, people order 2.97 times per week, with 61% delivered to home or elsewhere, and 39% of the time they go and collect goods (click and collect).

• Of the 59% of respondents who have undertook paid work in the last two weeks, they work on average 25 hours per week, including working full-time, part-time, casual, contract, or other forms. 43% of all working hours are WFH hours, equivalent to 1.3 days per week. Professionals, managers, and clerical/admin workers work from home more than other workers.

Download the September 2021 results (pdf, 1.8MB)

Highlights

• 9% of Australians nominated infrastructure as one of Australia's two highest priority issues today, down from 10% in March 2021.  4% of Australians selected transport as one of Australia's two highest priority issues today, identical to 4% in March 2021.

•  24% of Australians said that the highest priority issue for transport in Australia is public transport improvements, down from 29% in March 2021. Other issues (26%) related to matters such as lockdown are the top priority, and road improvements ranked  third (20%, identical to March 2021). 11% of Australians were unsure of the highest priority, down from 14% in March 2020.

• 62% of Australians said that transport in their local areas is the same as one year ago, slightly down from 64% in March 2021.

• 16% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year’s time, up from 15% in March 2021.

•  17% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in one year, identical to 17% in March 2021.

• 35% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in five years’ time, up from 31% in March 2021.

• Compared to the launch of TOPS in March 2010, in September 2021, Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 100 to 96) and have less confidence across Australia in one year’s time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 94), but have an equal level of confidence in five years’s time (Confidence index: equivalent at 100).

• Among all respondents asked, 63.8% of Australians may consider purchasing a car in the next 12 months, of which 53% said they would consider buying an electric car. This purchase intention of electric cars is the highest in NSW at 55.9% and the lowest in WA at 46.5%.

• Once the domestic and international borders are opened again and when hotel quarantine is no longer mandated, in the following 12 months, Australians will take international and domestic trips for different purposes. Nearly 50% of Australians are planning at least one domestic trip to visit family and friends, and almost 54% are planning at least one domestic trip to treat themselves. Nearly 28% of Australians are planning international trips to visit family and friends, and about 30% are planning to take international trips to treat themselves.

Download the April 2021 results (pdf, 726KB)

Highlights

• 10% of Australians nominated infrastructure as one of Australia's two highest priority issues today, up from 9% in September 2020. In March 2021, 4% of Australians nominated transport as one of Australia's two highest priority issues today, identical to 4% in September 2021.

• 29% of Australians said that the highest priority issue for transport in Australia is public transport improvements, down from 35% in September 2020. This is followed by other issues (21%) such as COVID-19 and road improvements (20%, up from 15% in September 2020). There are 4% more Australians who were not sure about the highest priority, up from 10% in September 2020.

• 64% of Australians said that transport in their local areas is the same now as one year ago, up from 62% in September 2020.

• 15% of Australians said that transport in their local area would be better in one year’s time, down from 18% in September 2020.

• 17% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in one year’s time, down from 20% in September 2020.

• 31% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in five years, down from 39% in September 2020.

• Compared to the launch of TOPS in March 2010, in March 2021 Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 100 to 90), and have less confidence across Australia in one-year time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 90), and in five years (Confidence index: down from 100 to 89).

• 21% of Australians said they would only consider PT once they and their family members get COVID-19 vaccines. 12% of Australians said they would not use PT again in a foreseeable future (1-2 years). Nearly 23% of Australians have never used PT.

• Among all the states, Australians living in VIC and SA feel the least safe in using PT (5.8 and 6 out of 10). Australians living in WA feel the safest (6.9 out of 10). On average, Australians feel 6.2 out of 10 in terms of being safe in using PT under the current Covid-19 situation.

• Overall, 24% of respondents have returned to using PT with 11% having never abandoned PT while 9% do not plan to use PT again in the next couple of years. An additional 13% will return to using PT once that are vaccinated. 36% of the sample have never used PT.

Download the September 2020 results (pdf, 364KB)

Highlights

• 9% of Australians nominated infrastructure as one of the two highest priority issues in Australia today, down from 16% in September 2019. 4% of Australians nominated transport as one of the two highest priority issues in Australia today, significantly down from 9% in September 2019.

• 35% of Australians said that the highest priority issue for transport in Australia is public transport improvements, slightly up from 34% in September 2019. This is followed by other issues (29%) such as Covid-19, border lockdown and employment and road improvements (15%).

• 62% of Australians said that transport in their local areas is the same now as one year ago, down from 54% in the September 2019.

• 18% of Australians said that transport in their local area will be better in one year’s time, slightly up from 17% in the September 2019.

• 20% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in one year’s time, up from 17% in the September 2019.

• 39% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in five years, up from 33% in the September 2019.

• Compared to the launch of TOPS in March 2010, in September 2020 Australians are more confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: up from 100 to 110), and gain confidence across Australia in one-year time (Confidence index: back to 100), and in five years (Confidence index: up from 100 to 104).

• 20% of Australians said they worked from home before Covid-19 while 37% of them revealed they teleworked during the pandemic.

• Average number of days per week Australian residents remotely work is 0.63 days while their ideal telework duration is 2.1 days per week.

Download the March 2020 results (pdf, 274KB)

Highlights

• 18% of Australians nominated infrastructure as one of the two highest priority issues in Australia today, slightly down from 19% in March 2019. 7% of Australians nominated transport as one of the two highest priority issues in Australia today, down from 10% in March 2019.

• 33% of Australians said that the highest priority issue for transport in Australia is public transport improvements, slightly up from 31% in March 2019. This is followed by other issues (22%) and road improvements (22%).

• 55% of Australians said that transport in their local areas is the same now as one year ago, down from 59% in the March 2019.

• 15% of Australians said that transport in their local area will be better in one year’s time, slightly up from 14% in the March 2019.

• 16% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in one year’s time, slightly down from 17% in the March 2019.

• 28% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in five years, slightly down from 30% in the March 2019.

• Compared to the launch of TOPS in March 2010, in March 2020 Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 100 to 77), and across Australia in one-year time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 72), and in five years (Confidence index: down from 100 to 75).

• 54% of Australians would not agree to replace private car trips with public transport trips despite being offered a flat fare of 5$ for any Uber or Taxi trip up 5km from their home to a public transport station.

• Approximately 36% and 28% of Australian residents scored five for reliability and crowding are among the most important features which Australian residents want to improve, followed by fare level, travel time and frequency.

Download the September 2019 results (pdf, 502KB)

Highlights

• 16% of Australians nominated infrastructure as one of the two highest priority issues in Australia today, down from 19% in September 2018. 9% of Australians nominated transport as one of the two highest priority issues in Australia today, slight down from 10% in September 2018.

• 34% of Australians said that the highest priority issue for transport in Australia is public transport improvements, down from 40% in September 2018. This is followed by road improvements and other issues which are both 24%.

• 54% of Australians said that transport in their local areas is the same now as one year ago, slightly down from 55% in the September 2018.

• 17% of Australians said that transport in their local area will be better in one year’s time, slightly down from 18% in the September 2018.

• 17% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in one year’s time, slightly down from 19% in the September 2018

• 33% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in five years, down from 34% in the September 2018 and up from 30% in the March 2019.

• Compared to the launch of TOPS in March 2010, in September 2019 Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 100 to 87), and across Australia in one-year time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 75), and in five years (Confidence index: down from 100 to 81).

• About 40% of Australian respondents think about relocating to a regional area if there was a high-speed rail taking less than 1 hour traveling between the regional centre and their capital city. In comparison, the same proportion of Australian residents consider never move regardless of travel time of fast train to regional centres.

• 45% of Australian participants said they are familiar with smart-phone apps for planning their local travel with the range from 7 to 10 of the scale 0-10 whereas 21% of Australian said they are almost unfamiliar (0-1) with travel planning apps.

Download the March 2019 results (pdf, 340KB)

Highlights

• 19% of Australians nominated infrastructure as one of the two highest priority issues in Australia today, slightly up from 17% in March 2018. In the March 2019 quarter, 10% of Australians nominated transport as one of the two highest priority issues in Australia today, slightly up from 9% in March 2018.

• 31% of Australians said that the highest priority issue for transport in Australia is public transport improvements, down from 38% in March 2018. This is followed by other issues (27%) and road improvements (21%).

• 59% of Australians said that transport in their local areas is the same now as one year ago, slightly up from 55% in the March 2018 quarter.

• 14% of Australians said that transport in their local area will be better in one year’s time, slightly up from 12% in the March 2019 quarter.

• 17% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in one year’s time, slightly up from 15% in the March 2018 quarter.

• 30% of Australians think that transport in Australia will be better in five years, the same as in the March 2018 quarter and down from 34% in the September 2018.

• Compared to the launch of TOPS in March 2010, in March 2019 Australians are less confident about transport in their local area (Confidence index: down from 100 to 78), and across Australia in one-year time (Confidence index: down from 100 to 75), and in five years (Confidence index: down from 100 to 77).

• One in ten Australians said that their work-related travelling is 40% or greater of the total time. About six out of ten Australian respondents revealed that they have never travelled for business purposes.

• 82% of Australians use private car, followed by bus and metropolitan train/tram with 36% and 33%, respectively. Ride share such as Uber, Lyft slightly exceeds taxi among Australians.

Download the September 2018 results (pdf, 323KB)

Highlights

• A majority of Australians would like to see existing road usage charges, such as fuel excises and vehicle registration fees, replaced with charges more directly linked to the distance and time of day that they travel. 

• Seven out of ten Australians support the replacement of existing fuel excises with a charge based on distance driven. 

• Six in ten people surveyed said they would be willing to pay five cents for every kilometre they drive in capital cities during the weekday peak periods in return for removal of registration fees. 

• An end to registration fees was supported by 70 percent of Victorians, while the number was 63 percent in Queensland and South Australia, and 55 percent in New South Wales.

• Australians are now more confident about the future provision of transport infrastructure and services by local and national authorities than they were in 2015.

• The short-term transport confidence index for local transport is now at 85, compared to 63 in March 2018 and 44 in September 2015. 

• The long-term confidence index for Australian transport also increases to 83 from 74 in the first quarter of this year.

Download the March 2018 results (pdf, 335KB)

Highlights

• Car sharing services such as GoGet Oneway and Car2Share are growing in popularity amongst travellers at the expense of taxi and ride sharing services such as Uber.

• Support for one-way car share services was strongest amongst TOPS participants in South Australia (68 percent), followed by Queensland (67 percent) and Western Australia (64 percent). 

• When asked about the possibility of using a car-share scheme instead of a taxi or Uber service for a one-way trip, well over half (59 percent) of TOPS participants had a greater preference for car sharing. 

• When asked about their view of car-based taxi like services, 39 percent said they preferred regular taxis over Uber type services (22 percent) while the remaining 39 percent of participants said that their preference depended on the circumstances. 

• When it comes to choosing between a taxi and an Uber type services, more than half of those surveyed (54 percent) said that their decision would be based on price while 27 percent indicated that service quality was the most important factor. 

• Vehicle quality was the deciding factor for just 19 percent of respondents. 

• The TOPS six monthly index of attitudes towards the state of local transport services in the short-term deteriorated to 68 from 80 last September while the long term outlook remained unchanged at 74.

Download the September 2017 results (pdf, 573KB)

Highlights

• Australians are looking forward to self-driving cars but are unlikely to share their vehicles with other travellers contrary to predictions made by transport experts and the motor industry

• Road congestion in our major cities is unlikely to ease with the arrival of self-drive cars and could be worse than it is today. 

• One in four survey participants said they would buy a self-drive car for family use if they were available but only one-third of these adopters would lease their vehicles to other travellers when it was not in use. 

• Forty percent of participants said that they would probably use their cars more as travelling became easier while more than thirty percent said they would use their car rather than use some public transport. 

• No survey participants expected their daily travel to remain the same in the driver-less era. 

• Australians have steadily regained confidence in their local transport services but this is still a long way from the high recorded in September 2013. 

Download the March 2017 results (pdf, 537KB)

Highlights

• Fewer than half of Australian travellers believe that the nation’s roads are “relatively safe” while a declining number of people have confidence in transport in their local area.

• Around 60 percent of participants said that at least one major accident occurred on their regular routes every three months. 

• Nearly 20 percent of West Australians said that up to three accidents occurred on their regular travel routes per month while at the other end of the scale, only 11 percent of South Australians reported up to three accidents per month. 

• Only 15 percent of New South Wales residents believe that transport in their local area will be better in a year from now while 39 percent of Victorian residents expect an improvement over the next 12 months. 

• The public’s transport expectations continues to decline. From a starting point of 100 in 2010, the index in relation to expectations of an improvement in transport over the next year now stands at 66 while the five year outlook stands at 71. 

• In a question related to toll payments, the TOPS survey found that in nearly 80 percent of cases the charge is met by the driver. In around 15 per cent of cases the cost is shared by the driver and a passenger while the driver’s employer picks up the tab less than five percent of the time.