National

Good neighbours become good friends, US on the outer

By Noah Secomb

Oct 29, 2026

Donald Trump and Anthony Albanese — Australians are increasingly regarding the United States as a threat, not a friend. -AAP Image

Australia's immediate neighbours are trusted more than historic allies, according to a new survey which shows the United States is increasingly considered a "threat".

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Only half of the Australians polled in a YouGov survey, Â commissioned by the Australia Institute, considered long-time ally the US a "friend".

Meanwhile 42 per cent perceived America as a "threat".

The question posed to respondents characterised a "threatening country" as a nation viewed with caution or suspicion.

A further breakdown of the data shows two-thirds of One Nation voters perceive the US as a friend, with the coalition close behind but less emphatic.

Labor voters are largely split and only one-quarter of Greens voters view the global superpower positively.

Only four per cent of young voters labelled the US a "close friend" while over half considered it a threat.

It follows a similar poll from the Lowy Institute released in June which found trust in global leaders broadly has decreased year on year and reported record low trust in the US.

Only 21 per cent of respondents had confidence in President Trump to "do the right thing" in world affairs, ahead of only Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The Australia Institute poll released on Thursday shows New Zealand characterised as a friend by almost all survey participants.

Indonesia, a close geographic neighbour and emerging partner, has been rated a more trusted partner than the United States, leading by 14 per cent in the friend category.

It follows the trend of the Lowy Institute which also recorded Indonesia was trusted considerably more than the US.

The relationship with Indonesia has improved in the decades since major unrest of the mid-20th century, culminating in the Balibo Five killings of Australian media personnel in 1976.

Asylum seekers travelling from Indonesia in the early 2000s, spying controversies and the execution of two Australians convicted of drug trafficking from the Bali Nine cohort in 2015 have contributed to ongoing tensions.

The recent run of polls showing a positive shift in perception for Indonesia follows a period of relative stability and increased diplomatic co-operation.