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The ACT in Australia

The ACT is made up of Unincorporated ACT and Unknown.

Living in The ACT

The ACT Overall Liveability Index
The ACT 2023
66.4
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
Sydney
65.9
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

The ACT Overall Liveability Index

The ACT Overall Liveability Index 65.6

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 63.4

The ACT
Australia
Importance
Experience

Feeling safe

Importance
Experience
65%
7.2
63%
6.8

Natural environment

Importance
Experience
53%
7.9
53%
7.9

Affordable decent housing

Importance
Experience
52%
4.2
52%
4.7

Health services

Importance
Experience
48%
6.2
45%
6.5

Good job prospects

Importance
Experience
40%
6.7
29%
5.9

Public transport

Importance
Experience
35%
5.4
40%
5.6

Making your way

Importance
Experience
30%
6.6
32%
6.4

Social cohesion

Importance
Experience
28%
7.0
26%
6.7

Education

Importance
Experience
27%
7.5
18%
6.7

Shopping, leisure & dining

Importance
Experience
26%
6.9
28%
6.5

A lack of road congestion

Importance
Experience
21%
6.6
22%
5.6

Sense of community

Importance
Experience
19%
6.1
31%
6.5

Cultural facilities

Importance
Experience
18%
7.5
16%
6.2

Opportunity for all

Importance
Experience
15%
6.3
18%
6.3

A prosperous economy

Importance
Experience
13%
6.5
15%
6.2

Sports and recreation

Importance
Experience
11%
7.1
11%
7.2
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in The ACT

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?
The ACT (n = 302)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
9%
54%
37%
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?
The ACT (n = 302)
7.1
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
6%
66%
28%
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?
The ACT (n = 302)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
9%
72%
19%
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 The ACT

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?
The ACT (n = 302)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
20%
54%
26%
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?
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 4831)
Always late
1%
2%
Often late
7%
5%
Sometimes late
27%
27%
Never late
64%
66%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
36%
56%
8%
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 The ACT

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
60%
46%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
25%
30%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
5%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
5%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
5%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 46% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 41% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 3% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 46% somewhat confident. 47% 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?
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
46%
45%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
41%
40%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
12%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Very confident
3%
6%
Somewhat confident
46%
38%
Not very confident
37%
39%
Not at all confident
10%
13%
Don't know
4%
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 (81%), Bushfires (76%) and Storms (68%). The top actions residents felt should be taken to address the effects of climate change in their local area were: Adopt renewable energy sources (64%), Protect and enhance local biodiversity (63%) and Provide options for recycling waste (56%).

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?
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 3660)
Extreme heat
81%
75%
Bushfires
76%
51%
Storms
68%
57%
Droughts
59%
42%
Severe wind
50%
43%
Extremely cold temperatures
44%
18%
Flooding
31%
55%
Sea level rise
8%
23%
Cyclones
4%
12%
Landslide
3%
6%
Earthquakes
3%
5%
Other
2%
3%
None of these
0%
0%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Adopt renewable energy sources
64%
55%
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
63%
64%
Provide options for recycling waste
56%
53%
Reduce pollution of the environment
54%
58%
More sustainable building and development practices
53%
48%
More sustainable transport options
53%
48%
Conserve natural resources
52%
54%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
52%
58%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
49%
41%
Create renewable energy sources
48%
46%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
44%
43%
Encourage residents to buy locally
31%
36%
Other
8%
6%
None of these
1%
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, 7% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 54% 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?
The ACT (n = 302)
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
41%
40%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
13%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Very confident
7%
10%
Somewhat confident
54%
53%
Not very confident
27%
27%
Not at all confident
8%
6%
Don't know
3%
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 (86%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (70%) and Reduction in air quality (48%). 53% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 25% 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?
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Increased household running costs
86%
81%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
70%
63%
Reduction in air quality
48%
39%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
47%
44%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
42%
39%
My ability to access nature due to weather
34%
34%
Loss or damage to your home/property
31%
27%
Challenges getting around
31%
38%
Challenges accessing essential services
30%
28%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
26%
27%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
19%
30%
Reduced value to your home/property
10%
13%
Other
2%
3%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
It will improve a lot
2%
2%
It will improve somewhat
3%
7%
It will not change
10%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
53%
49%
It will reduce a lot
25%
22%
Don't know
7%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns & ideas in The ACT

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
The ACT (n = 302)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
Housing/Price of Housing
68%
54%
Inflation/Cost of Living
66%
59%
Healthcare/Hospitals
27%
19%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
24%
21%
Transport
23%
18%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
14%
14%
The Economy
14%
13%
Poverty/Inequality
13%
11%
Law & order
11%
26%
Population/Overpopulation
8%
13%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
8%
15%
Environmental Concerns
5%
7%
Unemployment
5%
9%
Taxation
5%
5%
Immigration
3%
5%
Education
3%
3%
Defence
1%
1%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
1%
5%
Race Relations/Racism
1%
3%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower