The Labor Party's landslide victory at the polls in 2025 was shaped by several factors, including a clear advantage on policy issues, the relative popularity of Anthony Albanese and strong support from younger voters and women, according to a major study of Australian political attitudes and behaviour.
The 2025 Australian Election Study (AES), led by The Australian National University (ANU) and Griffith University, and released in full today, shows voters preferred Labor's policies on nine of 10 issues looked at in the study.
"The Coalition had a long-term advantage on economic policy, until this year," study co-author ANU Professor Ian McAllister said.
"The cost of living was the major issue in the election, identified as the top election concern by all major voter groups.
"Housing affordability was the second most important election issue among renters, with one-in-five renters indicating it was their top concern."
The 2025 AES also found there was a clear gender gap in those who voted for the Coalition - a continuation of a trend that has played out over the past decade.
"In the 2025 federal election, nine per cent fewer women than men voted for the Coalition," study co-author Dr Sarah Cameron from Griffith University said.
"This gender gap has been observed in other democracies, with women now more likely to vote for parties on the left, while men are more likely to vote for parties on the right.
"In Australia, the decline in vote share for the Coalition has been driven by both men and women shifting their votes to other parties over the past decade."
Younger voters demonstrated an overwhelming preference for Labor and the Greens in 2025, at levels not seen in the nearly 40-year history of the AES.
According to previous AES studies, the Coalition has gone backwards with Millennials in every election since 2016.
"Coalition support fell to 21 per cent among Millennials in 2025 and 27 per cent among Gen Z," study co-author Professor Simon Jackman from the University of Sydney said.
"The generation that came of age around the turn of the century isn't moving towards the right over time; it's moving further left."
The percentage of Australians reporting no alignment with any political party - non-partisans - has increased rapidly since 2010, up from 14 per cent to 25 per cent in 2025.
"Independent voters are evenly split between repeat independent voters and Labor defectors," study co-author Dr Jill Sheppard from ANU said.
"Less than one in ten independent voters report having voted for the Coalition in 2022."
But according to the study's authors, Australians are more satisfied with how democracy is working.
"Voters are more satisfied now than in the late 2010s, when there were frequent changes of prime minister brought about by party leadership spills. We've seen a jump from 59 per cent satisfaction in 2019 to 70 per cent in 2025," Dr Cameron said.
"Australians are more satisfied with democracy when they have a greater say in the formation of government, including leadership."
Australia has unusually short three-year parliamentary terms compared to other democracies.
More Australians indicated they would support shifting to four-year parliamentary terms (42 per cent), than keeping things as they are now with three-year parliamentary terms (30 per cent).
"Meanwhile, support for a republic has been trending upwards, with 56 per cent in favour in 2025, the highest it's been in 15 years," Dr Cameron said.
