Australian Relationships Indicators

Relationships Australia provides counselling and education services for people wanting to improve their relationships. The survey results and information are used to plan and develop relationship enhancement services.

To celebrate Relationships Australia’s 60th anniversary and to mark a decade since the first Relationships Indicators Survey, the 2008 survey has been undertaken in partnership with our national community partner, Credit Union Australia (CUA).

2008 Survey Results

The Relationships Indicators Survey 2008 contains the findings from interviews conducted with 1,200 people aged 18 or over in all states and territories of Australia about their relationships.  This year's survey results are divided into a number of topics:

• Relationships today
• Looking for a partner
• Challenges in finding a partner
• Reasons why people get married
• Reasons why people don’t get married
• Sexual relationships
• Relationship problems
• Causes of relationship breakdown
• Reasons why older couples separate
• Impact of technology on relationships
• Community involvement
• Increasing happiness and wellbeing
• Work, income and relationships

Key Themes

• Friendships in particular are highly important to people and are as sought after as short-term or long-term relationships
• The proportion of people with a spouse, live in/de facto or non-live in partner has increased from 2006 to 2008.
  
• The three key challenges people face in finding a partner are that: there’s no-one suitable; how do you meet people?; and lack of time.
  
• Stress, work pressures and lack of time to spend with their partner are the top three factors that could negatively impact upon partner relationships
• The three main internal issues that people thought caused partner relationships to break down were: communication, commitment and expectations.
  
• Key external influences identified as contributing to relationship breakdowns were financial stress and work pressures.
• Sixty-nine per cent of people said new communications technology has had a positive impact on their important relationships - only 9% felt the new technology has had a negative impact. Two in ten believed it had no impact on their important relationships.
• When asked if they have as much to do with members of the community around them as they would like to, 60% of people said that they did, and 40% said that they didn’t. The main barriers for community involvement were work and family commitments.
• A quarter of respondents believe that more money or better finances would better improve their happiness and wellbeing. Another quarter gave a response that is based on people, such as the happiness or wellbeing of loved ones, improving relationships, more time with family/partner, being closer to family, having children or finding a partner.
  
• The experience of paid employment proves to be a negative force on relationships, regardless of income. Although the experience of unemployment impacts significantly on individual’s lives and creates strain within relationships, what comes through strongly in this data is that there are also issues for those currently in employment. 
  

Survey Trends from 1998 to 2008

Findings from the 1998 survey have been compared to the 2008 results to highlight significant trends over the past decade, regarding the main issues and concerns that Australians have with their relationships.

Relationship Problems - now and then

In 1998 and 2008, people were asked to select from a list of factors, that they’ve experienced and/or contribute significantly to relationship difficulties.

Although there were differences in the numerical values and ranking order of the responses, work pressures/work or study demands, financial insecurity/difficulties and having/bringing up children have remained the top three highest ranking responses as factors that negatively impact relationships.

In 1998, financial insecurity/difficulties was the highest ranking response, which dropped to second highest ranking response in 2008 under work pressures/work or study demands.

Reasons why people do and don't get married

A question regarding why people get married and don’t get married was included in the 1998 and 2008 survey. While the numerical values of the responses vary between the two surveys, the comparison has revealed a trend in people’s opinions about the factors affecting people’s decision to get married.

Apart from love and companionship - which are only included in the 2008 survey responses - the top three reasons identified for people getting married in 1998 and 2008 remain to be: to signify a lifelong commitment; security for children; and to make a public commitment to each other.

The survey comparison shows that while people in 1998 were concerned about the consequences of divorce, in 2008 a bad previous experience - whether it be separation, divorce or other relationship problems - has negatively affected people’s motivation to get married.

Latest Survey Findings

2008 Survey Summary (pdf)
2008 Survey Full Report (pdf)

Previous Surveys

2003 Survey Summary | 2003 Survey Full Report  
2001 Survey Summary
1998 Survey Summary

Note: All of the above documents are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader software.

Please do not use this research without approval from Relationships Australia.  For further information, please contact Relationships Australia (email: National Office)