Cost-of-Living Crisis Drives Social Cohesion to New Lows: Australian Study

People struggling financially are much less likely to feel a great sense of worth and belonging in Australia and much more likely to feel pessimistic.

A customer selects limes at a fruit stand in the central business district in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 16, 2022. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Over 40 percent of Australians now describe themselves as poor, marking a record-low sense of belonging in the nation.

About 12 percent say they sometimes go without food and 22 percent cannot afford medical care, according to a survey of 7,500 people by the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute.