Over one-third of Australians say Terrorists/Extremists (36%) are to blame for terrorism and 29% blame Prime Minister Albanese, the Australian Government, and other politicians

A special Roy Morgan SMS Poll into views on blame and responsibility for terrorism shows around two-thirds of the blame is directed at either Terrorists/Extremists (36%) or Prime Minister Albanese, the Australian Government, and other politicians (29%).

‘Who do you blame for terrorism’ and ‘Why do you say that?’: Terrorists/Extremists (36%).

The largest group mentioned as to ‘blame for terrorism’ is the Terrorists/ Extremists mentioned by over a third of respondents (36%), and people who mentioned this group cited their extreme religious and political beliefs, the religion at the core of the beliefs which drives their actions, their single-minded focus on their own agenda, the fact that by definition it is terrorists that carry out terrorism, and because the evidence overwhelmingly points in that direction.

• “You have to have extreme views and opinions to commit such awful crimes.”
• “Their actions come from a particular theological school within Islam.”
• “Their views on religion and hate against others.”
• “Those with extreme views tend towards taking extreme actions.”
• “Extremism focused by religion creates terrorism.”
• “Religion is at the core of terrorism.”
• “Because usually it is people who have strong feelings about religion and their own ideologies or against others that perpetuate terrorist crime.”
• “Because they commit the acts of terrorism.”
• “Because terrorists are the ones that carry out terrorism.”
• “To commit an act of terrorism, one becomes a terrorist.”
• “Because evidence points to this.”
• “This time they were known extremists. Homeland security needs to be better at their jobs.”

Prime Minister Albanese, the Australian Government, and other politicians (29%).

Over a quarter of respondents mentioned Prime Minister Albanese, the Australian Government, and other politicians such as Penny Wong and Tony Burke (29%) with assertions that the Government has a lax immigration policy letting in too many migrants, that the Government has done nothing to protect Australia, that the Government has allowed ‘hate speech’, they’ve demonstrated poor leadership, and that they’ve demonised Israel , and encouraged the extremists by recognising Palestine.

• “Because he (Albo) is letting undesirable people into the country.”
• “He (Albo) has let terrorists into the country in large numbers.”
• “They let them in and don’t stop them from preaching jihad.”
• “Immigrants commit crimes at higher rates proportionally to Australian-born citizens.”
• “Prime Minister never stood up on October 8.”
• “Albanese has done nothing to protect Australians since October 7 and no effort to protect the Jewish community.”
• “No action on the advice given to the Government, they’re just looking after their own backsides.”
• “Nothing about the protest at the Opera House or the march across the Harbour Bridge.”
• “He (Albo) is weak on anti-Semitism and hate speech.”
• “He’s (Albo) a weak leader.”
• “He’s (Albo) ignored the warnings.”
• “He has sat on his hands, recognised Palestine and abandoned Jewish Australians.”
• “Recognition of Palestinian statehood, funding for Islamic hate preachers, supporting weekly anti-Israel protests, refusing to attend the site of October 7 massacre, reduction in ASIO capability to combat Islamic and extremism, accepting 3000 Gazan refugees and ISIS brides, refusing visas for Israeli politicians
• “They have allowed pro-Palestine rallies / they allowed too many migrants to arrive from Muslim counties they are a disgrace."

Other groups attracting blame included Radicals/Fundamentalists/Islam (6%), The Israelis (5%) and Muslims (5%) with no other single group being mentioned by more than 2% of respondents.

Young Australians are more likely to blame PM Albanese/ the Government/ politicians

Analysis of the results by age shows young Australians aged 18-24 are more likely, at 33%, to blame Prime Minister Albanese, the Australian Government, and other politicians than older age groups, 25-34 (29%), 35-49 (27%), 50-64 (31%) and especially people aged 65+ (24%).

In contrast, young Australians aged 18-24 are least likely, at 32%, to blame terrorists/extremists than any other age group, 25-34 (38%), 35-49 (35%), 50-64 (35%) and especially people aged 65+ (39%).

These results were from a survey with a representative cross-section of 1,170 Australians aged 18+ from Friday December 19 – Saturday December 20, 2025,who were asked two open-ended questions ‘Who’s to blame for terrorism?’ and ‘Why do you say that?’

For context, previous surveys conducted by Roy Morgan and others internationally, have typically ‘prompted’ responses by giving respondents a list to choose from. Repeating the historical questions shows two important things:

Without prompting, Australians are more likely to blame extremists than any individual group - nationality, cultural or religious group.

Australians are now less likely than ten or twenty years ago to blame either Muslims or Israelis, or indeed Arabs or Americans.

A separate survey with a different representative cross-section of 1,297 Australians aged 18+ were interviewed from Thursday December 18 – Friday December 19, 2025, and were asked:

‘In your opinion, which of the following groups are responsible for the terrorism our world is living with every day?’ The East, The West, The Americans, The Europeans, The British, The Chinese, The Australians, The Indians, The Arabs, The Israelis, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus & Buddhists.

To remove response bias, half the respondents were presented the answer codes in the reverse order.

Nearly half of Australians (46%) say Muslims are responsible for the terrorism the world is living with every day. Although, over double the results for any other group, this result is lower than the result recorded in 2015 (52% of Australians said ‘Muslims’), and marginally lower than the results of the 2007 Roy Morgan survey asking the same question  (47% of Australians said ‘Muslims’)

There was little to separate four other groups mentioned by Australians as responsible for terrorism, with 17% saying The Israelis are responsible for terrorism (down from 19% in 2015 and 28% in 2007), 15% saying The Arabs (down from 25% in 2015 and 32% in 2007) and 14% saying The Americans (down from 21% in 2015 and 38% in 2007) – which includes mentions of the US Government and US President Donald Trump.

An additional 8% mentioned Terrorists/Extremists directly (without specifying another group), 6% said Radicals/ Fundamentalists/ Islam, 5% said Jews, 5% said The West, 5% said Christians, 3% said The Chinese and 3% said The Russians.

Another 6% of respondents said, ‘All the above’, 4% said ‘None/Don’t Know’ and a further 9% mentioned other groups responsible for terrorism with no other group over 2%.

‘Which of the following groups are responsible for the terrorism our world is living with every day?’

*Visit here for more information on October 2007 results conducted via telephone.(Pages 38-39 of PDF).
*Visit here for more information on January 2015 results conducted via telephone. (Page 33 of PDF).

When respondents were asked to name the ONE GROUP that is MOST responsible for the terrorism our world is living with every day 40% mentioned Muslims, well ahead of any other single group.

Other groups mentioned by a significant share of respondents were Radicals/Fundamentalists/Islam (10%), The Israelis (9%), The Americans/ Trump/ US Government (9%), None/ Don’t Know (7%), Other (6%), The Arabs (4%), All the above (4%), Terrorists/ Extremists (4%) – there was nothing else over 2%.

Muslims (46% of respondents) were blamed for their extreme ideology and religion that drives extremism and violence, the preaching of jihad, hate speech and misogynistic suppression of women, that most terrorist attacks seem to involve Muslims, and that they want to take over the world.

• “Their ideology promotes violence.”
• “Because the Quran teaches violence.”
• “That is the religion for most of the terrorists.”
• “Their clerics are allowed to preach hate about infidels.”
• “They are radicalised to believe that all non-Muslims are to be destroyed or conform to Islam.”
• “Islam promotes violence against Jews and Christians.”
• “They are misogynistic and genitally mutilate young girls, marry them from age 9, cut off the heads of people who would proselytise. It’s an evil religion and against democracy. There’s nothing good about it.”
• “Because they make up most of the terrorists.”
• “They are terrorists and hate Jews.”
• “Most terrors are created by the Muslim fundamentalists. ISIS, PKK, SDG, are some of them. There is no Christian Holy Army anymore. The Church has become significantly less hypocritical.”
• “Fundamentalist hatred of Western culture and detestation of Jews as voiced by some radical imams right here in Australia.”
• “Because they want to take over the world, this is evident in many countries.”
• “Because they want to rule the world. If you’re not Muslim you’re dead.”

Israelis (17% of respondents) were blamed because of the war crimes committed in Palestine and the alleged genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, the history of Israel fighting for more land, their decades of oppression of Palestine and attacks on neighbouring countries, and the disproportionate response to the horrific October 7 attacks.

• “They have a wish to reshape the Middle East, Iran, now Cyprus and use financially & militarily and politically countries of the West mainly, to achieve their goals.”
• “Decades of oppression of Palestine and attacks on neighbouring countries.”
• “80,000 dead Palestinians.”
• “Over a period of about 15 years they have become the oppressors. The conditions they have created have bred the Arab response.”
• “Because they have a history of fighting for more land.”
• “The Israelis government led by Netanyahu’s barbaric treatment of Palestinians over decades.”
• “They are ethnic cleansing Palestine and sponsor interference in many countries including Australia.”
• “The indiscriminate slaughter of tens of thousands in Gaza. It’s genocide.”
• “Because of Gaza genocide and they did Bondi.”
• “Because they believe in genocide of all Muslims.”
• “They have been funding terrorism in very sneaky ways for many years.”
• “Because of their disproportionate response to the (horrific and unjustified) October 7 attack.”

Arabs (15% of respondents) were blamed for the war in Gaza, the susceptibility of people in the Middle East to extremist ideology such as from Hezbollah and ISIS, their tribalistic and violence supporting beliefs, and the fact they are usually linked to terrorist attacks in one way or another with their dislike and hatred of the Western World.

• “The Middle East war in Gaza.”
• “The Arab terrorist organisations such as ISIS and Hezbollah.”
• “It is written in their charter and their book.”
• “Tribalistic and violence supporting beliefs.”
• “Every major terrorist problem in the world seems to have Arab groups behind it.”
• “The only live to cause misery to others.”
• “Most susceptible to extremist ideology.”
• “Small groups of these people always seem to be in the heart of any terrorism that happens in the world.”
• “It all originated from that area of the world. The Middle East.”
• “Most people involved in terrorism are from that area.”
• “They are usually linked to the terror attacks we find out after the fact.”

The Americans/ President Trump/ US Government (14% of respondents) were blamed for pursuing a global military empire, interfering in other countries, reckless foreign policies and attempts to control the world, including by funding terrorists and Trump’s stirring up of hatred and confrontational approach to diplomacy.

• “They have military bases all over the world even in Australia. The Americans invade many countries to assert their power, as the British used to.”
• “The Americans have interfered in many states and territories.”
• “Trying to control the world, those in power are corrupt & propagate lies & deceit to their benefit.”
• “They are the ones who stir the pot and provide the means mainly. My feelings are not to towards the actual people who live there. my feeling is towards politicians at the top. This goes for all countries who support terrorism.”
• “Power, control of oil, territory.”
• “They stir up a lot of hatred that leads to a variety of forms of terrorism.”
• “Donald Trump is stirring up hatred.”
• “Because Trump has validated a world focused on lies, bullying, self-satisfaction, overblown patriotism and encouraged a victim mentality among men.”
• “US president and his approach to world diplomacy. The Republican Party.”
• “Significant contributions to global conflicts, disregard for multilateral agreements, superiority complex.”
• “American foreign policy has led to conditions that promote the emergence of terrorist ideology.”
• “They have been destabilising regions for the past 50 years and sending in their military.”
• “The Americans have funded terrorists many times in the past when it suited them. Other times it suited the Americans to be at war with terrorists. Now it suits them "to make peace" so they again pretend "to make peace" to show the gullible nations that the Americans are important.”

Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, says:

“The main finding of this important research, apart from terrorists and extremists being blamed for terrorist attacks, is that many Australians blame Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the Government, and other politicians for terrorism.

“Roy Morgan has been operating since 1941, asking Australian people how they feel about events in and shaping our society. Looking back over the years, some of those questions have been challenging and even painful to ask and answer.

“Our founder Roy Morgan, when he set out to measure public opinion all those years ago, sought to record the views of the Australian people- faithfully and as accurately as possible – so their voices could be heard. He believed that if Roy Morgan, an independent research organization, did not provide this ‘voice’ it would be left to politicians and journalists to claim to speak for the people.

“In this research, Roy Morgan has continued to measure views on terrorism using the same question as used in 2007 and 2015, to enable us to understand how Australians views have changed. Indeed, the research shows lower levels of blame for individual groups today than previously.

“However, in addition, Roy Morgan also conducted the more qualitative ‘open-ended’ questioning, that allows Australians to say without prompting what they think.

“Without prompting, Australians are more likely to blame extremists than any individual group - nationality, cultural or religious group.

“Australians are now less likely than ten or twenty years ago to blame either Muslims or Israelis, or indeed Arabs or Americans.

“The open-ended question allowed respondents to give much more nuanced and considered answers; many took the opportunity; e.g. ‘Not a single cause or origin, it’s a complex mix of political, social, psychological and structural factors’

“And many expressed anger and concern about the hate, racism and divisiveness being brought into our world.”