The McKinnon Index: an annual dashboard of democratic health is made up of a collection of measures aimed at tracking the health and effectiveness of our governments and democracy over time.

Most measures are taken from a 4,400-person representative survey of Australian’s conducted in July 2025 by Roy Morgan, supplemented with international benchmarks and structural data taken from sources such as the Australian Electoral Commission.

You can view the McKinnon Index data in an interactive dashboard.

Key findings:

• Trust in institutions remains stronger than trust in politicians, and perceptions of effectiveness directly shape confidence in government.
• While three-quarters of Australians support democracy (76.0%), only around half (54.5%) are satisfied with how it functions.
• Some groups are further disengaged in our democracy than others, highlighting where work is needed to ensure our system works for everyone.