Feeling that voice and perspective matter

Governance and institutions

Feeling that voice and perspective matter

We need to feel like we can have our say - and be listened to. Being able to get involved in decision-making processes and be confident our voices will have an impact affects our wellbeing.

Having a say and being heard

This measure shows how confident Canberrans feel about:

In 2024, the proportion of Canberrans who had high confidence that they could have a say and be heard in the ACT declined slightly, from 17.9% in 2023 to 13.7% in 2024.

The proportion of Canberrans who have low confidence has declined over the years, from 52.0% in 2019 to 32.4% in 2024, while the proportion who feel moderately confident has almost doubled in the same period.

The University of Canberra 2024 Living Well in the ACT Region survey found Canberrans who feel less confident include:

Data for this indicator are sourced from the University of Canberra Living well in the ACT Region survey. Detailed survey data, survey user guide and published reports from the survey can be accessed at https://www.regionalwellbeing.org.au/living-well-in-the-act-region/.

Line graph of percentage of respondents who have confidence in having a say and being heard in the ACT, between 2019 and 2024.

In 2024:

  • 53.9% reported moderate confidence compared to 55.6% in 2023
  • 32.4% reported low confidence compared to 26.5% in 2023
  • 13.7% reported high confidence compared to17.9% in 2023.

The Living Well in the ACT Region survey, conducted by the University of Canberra, aims to measure, track and understand the wellbeing and resilience of adult residents living in the Australian Capital Territory region of Australia. It examines factors known to affect wellbeing and resilience at the individual, household, community and regional level.

When generating data for the ACT, statistical weighting is used to address differences between the sample of people who respond to the survey, and the characteristics of the ACT adult population.

Data are produced from this survey for different groups of people in the ACT. The ‘overall response’ category represents responses at the ACT population level. Where reliable estimates can be produced, data are also presented for Canberrans by: gender, age, cultural background, gender identity and sexuality, carer role and experience of disability. Not all differences over time or between groups are statistically significant: information on confidence intervals for the data presented here is available in data tables that can be accessed at https://www.regionalwellbeing.org.au/living-well-in-the-act-region/.

Care is needed when interpreting the differences in findings between groups as the descriptive statistics published here show where there are differences in wellbeing, but not what has caused those differences in wellbeing.

Further information about the survey can be found at Living Well in the ACT Region or by contacting regionalwellbeing@canberra.edu.au.