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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 in May 2025

Sydney Overall Liveability Index
Australia
59.5
Adelaide
62.9
Central NSW
59.0
Central QLD
57.2
Central VIC
60.8
Darwin
52.6
Eastern VIC
58.0
Far North Queensland
52.9
Hobart
58.1
Melbourne
60.6
Northern NSW
55.7
Perth
62.9
Regional NT
50.6
Regional SA
59.4
Regional Tas
58.8
Regional WA
61.0
Rest of QLD
66.5
South East Queensland
59.2
Southern NSW
59.1
The ACT
64.2
Western VIC
60.9
Collected May 2025

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 64.1

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 59.5

Sydney
Australia
Importance
Experience
Feeling safe
Importance
Experience
65%
7.0
65%
6.2
Public transport
Importance
Experience
62%
7.0
40%
5.2
Affordable decent housing
Importance
Experience
57%
4.2
56%
4.5
Natural environment
Importance
Experience
47%
7.4
50%
7.6
Health services
Importance
Experience
42%
7.0
48%
6.1
Shopping, leisure & dining
Importance
Experience
34%
7.0
26%
6.1
Social cohesion
Importance
Experience
33%
6.6
26%
6.3
Making your way
Importance
Experience
33%
6.6
30%
6.0
Sense of community
Importance
Experience
25%
6.2
29%
6.2
Good job prospects
Importance
Experience
21%
5.7
29%
5.4
Education
Importance
Experience
18%
6.8
20%
6.3
Cultural facilities
Importance
Experience
17%
5.9
15%
5.8
A lack of road congestion
Importance
Experience
15%
4.8
21%
5.3
Opportunity for all
Importance
Experience
15%
6.2
19%
5.9
A prosperous economy
Importance
Experience
11%
6.1
16%
5.6
Sports and recreation
Importance
Experience
5%
6.7
9%
6.9
The arrows indicate whether a difference is statistically significant. Significance testing helps determine if a difference between two groups is likely real (shown by an arrow) or due to random chance (no arrow).
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Sydney in May 2025

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 2025 (n = 430)
6.6
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.7
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
14%
57%
30%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
15%
56%
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 2025 (n = 430)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
11%
63%
26%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
12%
64%
24%
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 2025 (n = 430)
6.5
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.5
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
13%
66%
21%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
11%
67%
22%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Financial circumstances in Sydney in May 2025

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 2025 (n = 430)
5.9
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
5.7
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
24%
49%
27%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
27%
47%
26%
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 2025 (n = 408)
Australia (n = 4683)
Always late
2%
2%
Often late
6%
6%
Sometimes late
28%
30%
Never late
64%
63%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
32%
56%
12%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
42%
48%
11%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change in Sydney in May 2025

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
Australia (n = 4907)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
50%
43%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
30%
32%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
9%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
4%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
8%
11%
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 39% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 7% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 37% 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 2025 (n = 392)
Australia (n = 4304)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
44%
49%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
39%
36%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
17%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 321)
Australia (n = 3585)
Very confident
7%
5%
Somewhat confident
37%
35%
Not very confident
35%
39%
Not at all confident
13%
15%
Don't know
9%
6%
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 (79%), Storms (60%) and Severe wind (46%). The top actions residents felt should be taken to address the effects of climate change in their local area were: Reduce pollution of the environment (58%), Protect and enhance local biodiversity (56%) and Adopt renewable energy sources (55%).

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 2025 (n = 305)
Australia (n = 3490)
Extreme heat
79%
74%
Storms
60%
53%
Severe wind
46%
44%
Flooding
34%
48%
Bushfires
33%
50%
Droughts
24%
42%
Sea level rise
21%
24%
Extremely cold temperatures
15%
16%
Landslide
7%
7%
Cyclones
5%
24%
Earthquakes
4%
5%
Other
6%
5%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 321)
Australia (n = 3585)
Reduce pollution of the environment
58%
51%
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
56%
60%
Adopt renewable energy sources
55%
48%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
55%
53%
More sustainable transport options
52%
41%
Provide options for recycling waste
50%
47%
More sustainable building and development practices
46%
44%
Conserve natural resources
42%
48%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
38%
35%
Create renewable energy sources
38%
38%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
33%
36%
Encourage residents to buy locally
27%
30%
Other
7%
6%
None of these
1%
2%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change on residents

Among those that believe in climate change, 47% indicated that they themselves are currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 37% expected to within their lifetime. Of those, 8% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 51% somewhat confident. 36% 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 2025 (n = 392)
Australia (n = 4304)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
47%
47%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
37%
37%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
16%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 322)
Australia (n = 3506)
Very confident
8%
8%
Somewhat confident
51%
52%
Not very confident
31%
30%
Not at all confident
5%
6%
Don't know
5%
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 (75%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (55%) and Reduction in air quality (47%). 49% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 22% 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 2025 (n = 322)
Australia (n = 3506)
Increased household running costs
75%
77%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
55%
61%
Reduction in air quality
47%
36%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
45%
46%
Challenges getting around
36%
36%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
36%
40%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
34%
29%
My ability to access nature due to weather
27%
32%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
22%
26%
Challenges accessing essential services
22%
28%
Loss or damage to your home/property
20%
29%
Reduced value to your home/property
9%
15%
None of these
3%
2%
Other
3%
3%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Sydney 2025 (n = 322)
Australia (n = 3506)
It will improve a lot
1%
2%
It will improve somewhat
9%
7%
It will not change
14%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
49%
49%
It will reduce a lot
22%
22%
Don't know
5%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns in Sydney in May 2025

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
Australia (n = 4907)
Housing/Price of Housing
63%
50%
Inflation/Cost of Living
60%
54%
Transport
23%
20%
Population/Overpopulation
20%
13%
Law & order
17%
36%
Poverty/Inequality
14%
11%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
14%
13%
The Economy
13%
12%
Immigration
12%
7%
Healthcare/Hospitals
11%
20%
Environmental Concerns
11%
10%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
9%
12%
Unemployment
9%
9%
Race Relations/Racism
7%
5%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
7%
15%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
4%
4%
Taxation
3%
6%
Education
3%
3%
Defence
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Residential Development and Local Area Decision-Making in Sydney in May 2025

What concerns do you have with residential development (building more homes to accommodate more people) in your local area?
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
Australia (n = 4907)
Increased traffic and congestion
48%
46%
Strain on infrastructure and public services
41%
42%
Lack of affordable housing
38%
38%
Rising housing costs
36%
35%
Loss of green space or natural areas
28%
28%
Overcrowding
28%
18%
Changes to neighbourhood character
23%
21%
Noise or disruption during construction
17%
10%
Environmental impact
14%
20%
Other
4%
5%
None/not applicable to my area
3%
5%
Don't know
0%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
What other concerns do you have with residential development in your local area?

What do you see as the potential benefits of residential development (building more homes to accommodate more people) in your local area?
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
Australia (n = 4906)
Increased housing availability
48%
49%
Support for local businesses and services
42%
42%
More affordable housing options
38%
37%
Revitalisation of underused or vacant areas
22%
20%
Attraction of new residents and economic growth
21%
23%
Enhanced public transport options
18%
13%
Improved infrastructure and amenities (e.g. roads, parks)
17%
18%
Opportunity for more sustainable, energy-efficient housing
15%
15%
Greater diversity in housing types
10%
10%
Other
4%
4%
None/not applicable to my area
11%
13%
Don’t know
4%
3%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
What do you see as the other potential benefits of residential development in your local area?

To what extent do you feel your community’s views are considered in local area decision-making?
Sydney 2025 (n = 430)
Australia (n = 4907)
Very well considered
6%
4%
Somewhat well considered
28%
27%
Not well considered
33%
34%
Not considered at all
21%
27%
Don't know
13%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower