Social cohesion in Australia has been remarkably resilient through the challenges of recent years. However, we continue to face difficult national and global circumstances, global conflict, economic pressures and uncertainty and division over issues such as the Voice referendum.

The Mapping Social Cohesion 2023 report comes at a crucial time – a time to take stock and consider the challenges ahead. In 2023, almost 7,500 people participated in the Mapping Social Cohesion survey, making it the largest survey in the series.

In the 2022 report, researchers remarked that social cohesion appeared to be at an important juncture. Indicators suggested that cohesion had been declining after a COVID-related spike in 2020. While there were some signs to suggest that cohesion was returning to a pre-pandemic normal, declines in our sense of national pride and belonging, increasing financial strain and a weakening sense of social inclusion and justice were warning signs of further weakening in our social fabric.

The results of Mapping Social Cohesion 2023 reinforce these concerns and underline the precarious and uncertain social environment of Australia in 2023. In the last 12 months, the Scanlon-Monash Index of social cohesion declined by four points to 79, the lowest score on record. Since a peak in social cohesion during the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020, social cohesion has declined by 13 points.