2026 has been an unsettling year in terms of Australian security. It opened with the nation still reeling from its worst terrorist attack on home soil. This sense of insecurity has since been compounded by regional and global events, including the conflict in Iran and, more recently, the Chinese ballistic missile test in the Pacific Ocean.
Surveys by the Australian National University and the Lowy Institute have demonstrated a growing sense of insecurity among Australians. But what does this mean in terms of wider attitudes towards defence issues, and why do these attitudes matter?
Last year, the War Studies Research Group surveyed Australians to get a sense of their attitudes towards the Australian Defence Force (ADF). We fielded a second iteration of this survey in January 2026 to see if anything had changed in the past year.
The survey involved 1,529 Australians aged 18 or older. They were asked many of the same questions from the 2025 iteration, as well as some new ones. Our survey found Australians are increasingly worried about security, but the issues that are at the front of the public mind are not necessarily those that dominate the political debate.
Terrorism and cyberattacks the most significant threat
Both Defence Minister Richard Marles and his Coalition counterpart James Paterson discuss national security issues in the context of the threat of great power competition and conflict.
Yet our survey found that Australians rank terrorism (33.7%) and cyberattacks (29.8%) as more significant threats than either high- or low-intensity conflicts. They also believe the ADF is far more likely to be engaged in peacekeeping missions or the delivery of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief than it is to be involved in a major conflict.
In contrast to armed conflict, terrorism and cyberattacks have affected many Australians, both directly and indirectly. The survey was conducted in the weeks following the December 2025 Bondi attack, which meant terrorism was front-of-mind for our respondents.
Meanwhile, 47% of Australians were found to have experienced a form of cyber-crime in 2025. It is unsurprising these two threats ranked so highly.
Navy not the priority, despite AUKUS
This focus on non-traditional security threats fed into limited public support for additional funding for the ADF. In line with our findings from last year , roughly one third of respondents believed more money should be spent on defence. Just over half felt current spending levels were appropriate. Support for funding cuts was slightly higher at 15% compared with 11% in 2025.
Since the 2023 Defence Strategic Review there has been a significant shift of emphasis within defence. This has seen a renewed focus on Australia’s immediate region, and a prioritisation of maritime capabilities needed to fight in the oceans and coastlines that comprise it. Yet our survey suggests this shift is not reflected in public attitudes to defence.
42% of respondents felt the army was the most important service in providing defence for Australia. Around one quarter favoured the air force (24%) or the navy (23%). Similarly, 37% felt the army should be the priority for funding, slightly ahead of the air force (33%) and navy (30%). Navy’s lower priority in the public mind is particularly relevant in the context of AUKUS, and the need for both the Department of Defence and the government to justify its huge price tag.
2 in 5 Australians support introduction of conscription
Recently, several countries have again adopted some form of national service. This has led some commentators to advocate for similar programs in Australia amid the perceived deterioration in the strategic environment.
According to the results of our survey, 43% of Australians support introducing a form of compulsory national service, with 33% opposed and 24% expressing neutral views.
Yet this overall picture disguises considerable variation across demographics. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given they would be most directly affected, young Australians aged 18-24 were least supportive of conscription. More than one third (36%) were opposed, though slightly less than one-third supported national service. By contrast, 71% of those aged 75 and over supported conscription, with only 17% opposed.
There were also significant differences by political affiliation. Half of Liberal party supporters in our survey backed conscription and only 21% opposed. In contrast, only 26% of Greens voters thought it was a good idea, with half (51%) opposed.
Australians show greater support for self-reliance
Some of the largest shifts in public attitude when compared to our 2025 survey related to the roles of the ADF, and Australia’s approach to security.
Overall support for a collaborative and regional approach to security fell, with respondents increasingly favouring a narrower focus on self-reliance and the defence of Australia as the best way forward. Respondents were also more likely to believe that Australian security would be best served by prioritising the development of a strong military over diplomacy and foreign aid.
When it came to the ADF working closely with allies and partners, especially the United States, public support dropped sharply from 75% in 2025 to 54% in 2026. Public backing for the deployment of the ADF in support of allies and partners such as the United States was even lower, coming it at 50%, down from 64% last year.
While support for working with allies and partners continues to outweigh opposition, the substantial growth in opposition in these areas represents one of the most significant year-on-year shifts within the survey.
Again, this is in line with other surveys, which have highlighted downward trends in public opinion regarding the US.
Australians’ growing sense of insecurity
Overall Australians are feeling increasingly insecure, and global events including the actions of the US are clearly affecting how they view security.
However, the way the public frames security does not align with the narrative coming out of the politicians and commentators in Canberra.
Our survey indicates there remains very limited interest in the ADF as an organisation, and little support for a major change in defence policy settings. For those who believe Australia faces its most uncertain strategic situation since the second world war, shifting this perception is arguably the most profound challenge.
