Yes, Australians generally love their country and express strong pride, often described as "soft patriotism," valuing its unique lifestyle, natural beauty, democracy, sports, and opportunities, though this pride is sometimes balanced with critical awareness and concerns about issues like social inequality or history. Polls consistently show high percentages of Australians are proud to be Australian and feel the world would be better if other countries were more like it, focusing on values rather than fervent nationalism.
Australia and its symbols
95% of Australians take pride in the national flag, which is enjoying increasing popularity, with half (50%) saying that they are extremely proud.
The top five destination countries for Australians are Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, the USA, and China. This year, China has moved up two places to become our fifth most popular travel destination.
The United Nations process the annual World Happiness Report to understand what happiness is and how it affects our lives, cultures and economy. Australia is ranked under 12, Canada 15 and the United States is 16th and a popular destination for most South Africans, the United Kingdom is 17th.
The flag is popular generally, and has particular support among young Australians, who do not appear to consider it a colonial symbol. The flag was the first national flag ever produced by a competition amongst the citizens themselves.
The $20 million paid for the Aboriginal flag's copyright went to Luritja artist Harold Thomas, the flag's designer, and the license holders, with the Australian Federal Government acquiring the rights in 2022 to make the flag freely available for public use, ending long-standing disputes and licensing issues. The deal also included funding for an Indigenous student scholarship and directing royalties to NAIDOC.
The flag of the USA, which added a star every time a state joined the Union, is the flag that has had the most changes.
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
Yes, $70k is a fair salary in Australia, often near the median income, making it a decent living for a single person, especially outside major cities, but it can be tight in expensive areas or for those with high living costs like mortgages, with full-time averages now closer to $90k-$100k.
While the United States (US) is Australia's key strategic ally and often seen as a very close partner by leaders, public opinion polls consistently show New Zealand as Australia's "best friend" in the world, followed by the US and then the United Kingdom, reflecting deep cultural and historical ties with both neighbors.
Don't litter as it's illegal in Australia. Especially don't throw a cigarette but from your car window as many bushfires are caused by this. Don't ride a bike without a helmet. Don't go in the sun without sunscreen; the sun rays in Australia can be adangerous for your skin.
Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Britain are among the most popular choices for Australian expats. While the weather in many of these countries may take some getting used to, their fascinating histories, unique cultures, and friendly citizens will more than make up for it!
Australia's biggest rival depends on the sport, but internationally, England (The Ashes in cricket) and New Zealand (Bledisloe Cup in rugby) are historic rivals, while India has emerged as a fierce modern cricket rival, and domestically, Queensland vs. New South Wales (State of Origin) is arguably the most intense rivalry. The rivalry with England in cricket is deeply cultural and historic, fueled by colonial roots, while the India rivalry is known for sheer intensity in cricket.
Yes, $100k (AUD) is generally a very good salary in Australia, placing you above the median income and offering financial stability, though it's becoming tighter in expensive cities like Sydney due to high living costs and housing prices, making lifestyle comfort dependent on location and dependents. While it's a strong income, it's closer to the median ($90k) than the high-earning average ($108k), meaning it provides comfort but not necessarily luxury, especially with rising costs.
You can probably thank Crocodile Dundee for this one. The iconic, laconic Aussie has spawned a worldwide reputation for not taking anything too seriously. People across the globe still think of Australians as being laidback – we'll make a joke out of anything; nothing seems to faze us. And we wrestle crocodiles.
The proportion of Australia's population born outside Australia was 31.5%. England, India, China and New Zealand were the countries of birth with the largest populations. Those born in India recorded the largest increase since 2014.
Once you've been in Australia for, well, an hour, you'll notice that nearly every word has an 'o' on the end of it. This is because for some weird reason Australians like to shorten every word and then add a vowel to the end of it… e.g. “bottle-o” (Bottle shop / off license) “servo” (garage / service station).
Ladies in Black is a 2018 Australian comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford.
2021 World Happiness Report
Finland holds the rank of the happiest country in the world for the fourth consecutive year. It is followed by Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Netherlands.
Ranking of the least happy countries worldwide 2024, by score. Afghanistan was ranked the least happy country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report from 2025. The country scored only 1.36 on a scale from 0 to 10.
In a region fraught with conflict, Israel consistently ranks as one of the happiest nations on Earth. Bound by family, united through community, and strengthened by a shared resilience, Israelis embrace life amid adversity.
The flag 🇲🇨 represents the Principality of Monaco, a small, wealthy city-state on the French Riviera, featuring two horizontal stripes, red over white, similar to Indonesia's but with different proportions.
🇳🇪 Flag: Niger Emoji. The emoji 🇳🇪 Flag: Niger depicts a rectangular flag divided into three equal horizontal stripes. The top stripe is orange, the middle stripe is white, and the bottom stripe is green.
two nations used the same flag for 18 years and did not know it? The nations of Haiti and Liechtenstein had identical flags of half blue and half red, but until the 1936 Olympics, neither nation was aware of the other's flag design.