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Sydney in Australia

Sydney is made up of Blue Mountains (C), Ryde (C), Woollahra (A), Randwick (C), Northern Beaches (A), Blacktown (C), Parramatta (C), Campbelltown (C) (NSW), Sydney (C), Waverley (A), Inner West (A), Cumberland (A), Canterbury-Bankstown (A), Sutherland Shire (A), Lane Cove (A), Georges River (A), North Sydney (A), Ku-ring-gai (A), Penrith (C), Strathfield (A), Fairfield (C), Hornsby (A), The Hills Shire (A), Hawkesbury (C), Liverpool (C), Canada Bay (A), Camden (A), Bayside (A), Wollondilly (A), Willoughby (C), Mosman (A), Burwood (A), Hunters Hill (A), Lithgow (C), and Wollongong (C).

Living in Sydney

Sydney Overall Liveability Index
Sydney 2023
65.6
Australia
63.4
Adelaide
67.4
Central NSW
60.5
Central QLD
59.5
Central VIC
67.5
Darwin
58.5
Eastern VIC
63.9
Far North Queensland
60.3
Hobart
58.5
Melbourne
65.5
Northern NSW
58.8
Perth
67.4
Regional NT
53.0
Regional SA
67.7
Regional Tas
60.2
Regional WA
61.7
Rest of QLD
68.7
South East Queensland
63.7
Southern NSW
61.9
The ACT
65.6
Western VIC
66.4
Collected May 2024

Use the values and experiences matrix to understand the relationship between what your residents believe makes somewhere a good place to live and how they experience their local area in that regard. The matrix highlights the attributes that your community believe needs to maintained and improved to advance overall liveability.

Greater Importance & Worse Experiences    Greater Importance & Better Experiences    Less important attributes

Sydney Overall Liveability Index

Sydney Overall Liveability Index 65.9

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 63.4

Sydney
Australia
Importance
Experience

Feeling safe

Importance
Experience
63%
7.3
63%
6.8

Public transport

Importance
Experience
63%
6.8
40%
5.6

Affordable decent housing

Importance
Experience
51%
4.5
52%
4.7

Health services

Importance
Experience
48%
7.3
45%
6.5

Natural environment

Importance
Experience
48%
7.7
53%
7.9

Making your way

Importance
Experience
32%
6.4
32%
6.4

Shopping, leisure & dining

Importance
Experience
32%
7.2
28%
6.5

Sense of community

Importance
Experience
31%
6.5
31%
6.5

Social cohesion

Importance
Experience
27%
6.9
26%
6.7

A lack of road congestion

Importance
Experience
23%
4.7
22%
5.6

Good job prospects

Importance
Experience
20%
5.9
29%
5.9

Opportunity for all

Importance
Experience
17%
6.5
18%
6.3

Education

Importance
Experience
14%
7.0
18%
6.7

Cultural facilities

Importance
Experience
12%
6.0
16%
6.2

A prosperous economy

Importance
Experience
11%
6.5
15%
6.2

Sports and recreation

Importance
Experience
7%
7.2
11%
7.2
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Sydney

Physical Health
How would you rate your physical health?
Do you think your physical health will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Sydney (n = 377)
7.1
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
15%
59%
25%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
12%
58%
30%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Mental Health
How would you rate your mental health?
Do you think your mental health will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Sydney (n = 377)
7.3
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
10%
67%
23%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
10%
65%
25%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Social wellbeing
How would you rate your social wellbeing?
Do you think your social wellbeing will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Sydney (n = 377)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
9%
70%
20%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
9%
68%
23%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Financial circumstances in Sydney

How would you rate your personal financial circumstances?
Do you think your personal financial circumstance will get worse, stay the same or get better over the next year?
Sydney (n = 377)
6.2
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
20%
58%
23%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
21%
51%
28%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
How often, if ever, are you late meeting your financial commitments?
Do you think the economic situation in your local area will get worse, stay the same or get better over the next year?
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 4831)
Always late
1%
2%
Often late
5%
5%
Sometimes late
27%
27%
Never late
67%
66%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
31%
58%
11%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
35%
52%
13%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change in Sydney

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
41%
46%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
35%
30%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
9%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
7%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
7%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 44% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 40% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 8% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 41% somewhat confident. 48% were not confident.

Please select the extent to which climate change is impacting or will impact your local area in your lifetime?
How confident are you that your local area will be able to adapt to the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
44%
45%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
40%
40%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
16%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Very confident
8%
6%
Somewhat confident
41%
38%
Not very confident
35%
39%
Not at all confident
13%
13%
Don't know
3%
4%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among the group of residents that felt their local area is currently feeling, or will feel, the effects of climate change in their lifetime, the top local area climate-related events were: Extreme heat (75%), Storms (62%) and Flooding (58%). The top actions residents felt should be taken to address the effects of climate change in their local area were: Protect and enhance local biodiversity (61%), Reduce pollution of the environment (59%) and Educate residents on how to live more sustainably (57%).

How is your local area currently, or how do you expect it will, feel the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
What do you feel are the best ways to address the effects of climate change in your local area?
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 3660)
Extreme heat
75%
75%
Storms
62%
57%
Flooding
58%
55%
Bushfires
51%
51%
Severe wind
43%
43%
Droughts
25%
42%
Sea level rise
20%
23%
Extremely cold temperatures
15%
18%
Landslide
8%
6%
Cyclones
5%
12%
Other
4%
3%
Earthquakes
1%
5%
None of these
0%
0%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
61%
64%
Reduce pollution of the environment
59%
58%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
57%
58%
Provide options for recycling waste
53%
53%
Conserve natural resources
53%
54%
Adopt renewable energy sources
52%
55%
More sustainable building and development practices
52%
48%
More sustainable transport options
49%
48%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
42%
43%
Create renewable energy sources
39%
46%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
36%
41%
Encourage residents to buy locally
33%
36%
Other
7%
6%
None of these
2%
2%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change on residents

Among those that believe in climate change, 44% indicated that they themselves are currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 40% expected to within their lifetime. Of those, 12% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 51% somewhat confident. 33% were not confident.

Please select the extent to which climate change is impacting or will impact you personally in your lifetime?
How confident are you that you personally will be able to adapt to the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
46%
44%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
38%
40%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
17%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Very confident
12%
10%
Somewhat confident
51%
53%
Not very confident
24%
27%
Not at all confident
9%
6%
Don't know
4%
4%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among the group of residents that felt they are currently feeling, or will feel, the effects of climate change in their lifetime, the top personal impacts were: Increased household running costs (80%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (57%) and My ability to leave my home due to weather (47%). 50% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 21% feel it will reduce their quality of life a lot.

How are you currently, or how do you expect to, personally feel the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Which of the following best represents how you believe the effects of climate change will affect your quality of life?
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Increased household running costs
80%
81%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
57%
63%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
47%
44%
Reduction in air quality
45%
39%
Challenges getting around
41%
38%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
38%
39%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
36%
30%
My ability to access nature due to weather
31%
34%
Loss or damage to your home/property
28%
27%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
24%
27%
Challenges accessing essential services
23%
28%
Reduced value to your home/property
12%
13%
Other
4%
3%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
It will improve a lot
2%
2%
It will improve somewhat
7%
7%
It will not change
14%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
50%
49%
It will reduce a lot
21%
22%
Don't know
6%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns & ideas in Sydney

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Sydney (n = 377)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
Housing/Price of Housing
63%
54%
Inflation/Cost of Living
59%
59%
Population/Overpopulation
22%
13%
Transport
22%
18%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
19%
21%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
18%
14%
The Economy
15%
13%
Healthcare/Hospitals
12%
19%
Law & order
12%
26%
Poverty/Inequality
11%
11%
Unemployment
9%
9%
Environmental Concerns
8%
7%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
7%
15%
Immigration
7%
5%
Taxation
6%
5%
Race Relations/Racism
4%
3%
Education
3%
3%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
3%
5%
Defence
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower