The 2025 survey finds that Australians continue to expect a system that is fair, progressive and capable of addressing inequality, while also funding high‑quality public services that support everyday life. Respondents express clear support for increased government spending, particularly on health and aged care services, reflecting their centrality to social wellbeing and prosperity. In other areas of government services, support for higher spending is tempered by more ambivalent views about personal tax contributions. 

Preferences around revenue raising remain highly consistent with previous years. The most popular options continue to be cracking down on corporate tax avoidance, increasing taxes on high‑income earners, introducing or expanding inheritance and wealth taxes, and reforming capital gains tax and negative gearing concessions. Support for tax reform remains, but it is expressed with greater caution and conditionality than in previous years.

Key findings

• Persistent support for fairness and progressivity.
• High regard for public services.
• Personal willingness to pay for higher spending on health and aged care.
• Targeted concern about inequality, especially housing and income inequality.
• Fragmented reform preferences.
• Cautious openness to new instruments.