Professor Nicholas Biddle is Associate Director of the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods.

He is Head of the methods and survey program in the centre and lead researcher for the Policy Experiments Lab.

Professor Biddle has a Bachelor of Economics (Hons.) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Education from Monash University. He also has a PhD in Public Policy from ANU, where he wrote his thesis on the benefits of and participation in education of Indigenous Australians.

He previously held a Senior Research Officer and Assistant Director position in the Methodology Division of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. He is currently a Fellow of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute.


Fields of expertise



Articles

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Increase in number of Australians doing it tough

Australians are more financially stressed now than they were at any time immediately prior to or during the…


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Voters rejected Voice due to fears of division: ANU study

Two-in-three Australians, 66.1 per cent, who voted ‘no’ to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament…

28 November 2023



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Vast majority of voters still think First Nations Australians should have a voice

Almost nine-in-10 voters, 87 per cent, think First Nations Australians should have a voice or say over matters…

28 November 2023



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Satisfaction with democracy on the decline

Australians’ satisfaction with democracy remains high, but has declined over the last two decades, new research from The…


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Democracy Sausage: Where did it all go wrong for the ‘yes’ campaign?

How important was the lack of bipartisanship to the outcome of the referendum? Could the government have done…


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Democracy Sausage: Hangovers and hard landings

What effect is inflation and rising interest rates having on the financial and psychological wellbeing of Australians? With…

6 September 2023



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Australians doing it tough financially, psychologically during inflation crisis

Fewer Australians are earning enough to meet their needs than before the pandemic, leaving people in psychological distress…

31 August 2023



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Top marks: Aussies show trust in education institutions

Education institutions are some of the most trusted in Australia, but our faith in schools has dropped significantly…


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Australians sceptical when it comes to future of AI

Australians have relatively high levels of concern about artificial intelligence (AI), and are sceptical about the number of…


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Fewer Australians say government needed in their lives

Fewer Australians think government should play a role in providing essential services as well as in their daily…


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Six million Australian adults hacked in the last year, study shows

One in three Australian adults have been exposed to data breaches in the last 12 months, according to…


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Australians under increasing financial stress despite working more

One in four Australians, 25.1 per cent, are finding it difficult to get by on their current income,…

3 November 2022



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More than one in 10 Aussies have had long COVID: ANU study

Nearly one-third of Australian adults who’ve had COVID-19 have had symptoms that lasted for longer than four weeks…

12 October 2022



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Australia’s COVID vaccine program has stalled, research shows

Australians with lower levels of education and household income are significantly less likely to have received a third…

29 September 2022



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Lockdowns led to lower life satisfaction

Stricter lockdowns in response to COVID-19 led to higher loss in life satisfaction and worse mental health and…

22 September 2022



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Youth mental health improves despite COVID pressure

The mental health and wellbeing of young Australians has dramatically improved, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, new analysis from The…

15 September 2022



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Life satisfaction plummets among young Aussies during COVID

Young Australians have suffered the greatest drop in life satisfaction during the first two years of the COVID-19…


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Unpopular leaders punished at the polls in 2022 election

Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce were the most unpopular leaders of any party since 1987, new analysis of…


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Age and education key to election win

Voters’ age and level of education were the two most important factors in deciding the latest federal election, new…


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High cost of living top priority for most voters

Almost two-thirds of Australians say reducing the cost of living should be the next federal government’s top priority,…


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Support for Morrison government hits new low

As voters prepare to head to the polls, a new study from The Australian National University (ANU) shows…


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Aussies more hesitant to receive their COVID booster

Less than half of all double-vaccinated Australians aged 18 and over have had their COVID-19 booster shot, new analysis from…

25 February 2022



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Confidence in Government plunges to new low during COVID-19

Satisfaction with the direction of the country and confidence in the Federal Government has plummeted, new analysis from The Australian…

14 February 2022



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Vast majority of Australians want COVID-19 boosters

More than seven-in-10 vaccinated Australians say they will definitely get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot when it is…

9 December 2021



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Fear of COVID-19 infection at all-time high

More Australians than ever think they will be infected with COVID-19, new analysis from The Australian National University (ANU) has…

19 November 2021



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Data trust down but Aussies still check in during pandemic

Australians are less trusting of how governments and companies use their private data following more than a year…

12 November 2021



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COVID-19 taking bigger toll on kids’ mental health

The mental health of Australian children has deteriorated significantly over the last year due to COVID-19, new analysis from The…

24 September 2021



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Australia lockdown lows hit all time high

Almost two thirds of Australians believe that their life has gotten worse during the pandemic and more than…

16 September 2021



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Most Aussie parents keen to get kids COVID jabs

Almost four-in-five Australian parents and carers say they are likely to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 once…

10 September 2021



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Most Australians support tax levy to improve aged care

The vast majority of Australians aren’t confident in the country’s aged care system, with more than one-in-10 saying…


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Confidence in government among voters drops

There has been “a very large decline in confidence in Federal Government among Australian voters”, new analysis from The Australian…


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Employment post-JobSeeker remains steady

Employment and hours worked have remained steady, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the scaling back of JobSeeker, new…


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Vaccine rollout not going well, say most Australians

Almost two-thirds of adult Australians, 64 per cent, think the Government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout is not being handled…


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Most Aussies say things look dire for when they retire

A majority of Australians think the age pension should be increased, while most Australians who aren’t retired think…


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Significant drop in Australians who will get COVID jab

There has been a substantial increase in COVID-19 vaccine resistance and hesitancy among Australians, according to new analysis from The…

19 February 2021



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Pandemic response sees confidence in government soar

Australians’ confidence in government and political leaders has skyrocketed over the last 12 months on the back of…

12 February 2021



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Schools score solid marks for pandemic learning changes

The vast majority of Australians are satisfied with how educational institutions adapted learning and teaching during the COVID-19…

18 December 2020



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Gambling rates dropped during height of COVID restrictions

Gambling rates in Australia dropped off significantly during the height of COVID-19 restrictions, before increasing again over the…

15 December 2020



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COVID misery burns through billions in life satisfaction

Australian adults have lost the equivalent of $338 billion in life satisfaction due to COVID-19, according to new analysis from…

11 December 2020



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COVID cuts billions of dollars and work hours

Working Australians, on average, lost 167 hours of work worth more than $5,000 each and $47 billion to the…

10 November 2020



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Sharp decline in mental health for young Australians

COVID-19 is continuing to lead to worsening mental health outcomes for young Australians, with the highest levels of…

10 November 2020



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Asian-Australians hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic

More than four-in-five Asian-Australians say they have experienced instances of discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, new analysis from…


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Australians say health workers should get COVID jab first

Australians say frontline healthcare workers and aged and disability carers should be the first to receive a COVID-19…

24 September 2020



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Investing in early fire detection could save $8 billion

Early bushfire detection could save the Australian economy $8.2 billion over the next 30 years, according to new modelling from…


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Worry increases, distancing decreases with COVID second wave

Victoria’s COVID-19 second-wave outbreak and related lockdown has seen a spike in anxiety and worry among Australians everywhere,…

3 September 2020



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Trust in data privacy increases during pandemic

COVID-19 has seen Australians become more trusting of organisations and governments when it comes to their personal data…


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Stress and finances worse off during pandemic

Almost one in two Australians, 47 per cent, say they are more stressed because of the COVID-19 crisis,…


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Number of Aussies not actively looking for work on the rise

New data shows there are signs of improvement in labour market outcomes between May and late June, though…


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Number of Australians facing housing stress doubles

The number of Australians who couldn’t pay their rent or mortgage on time has more than doubled due…


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Alcohol consumption increases during COVID-19 crisis

Australians are drinking alcohol more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic than before, a new report from The Australian…

10 June 2020



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COVID sees profits plummet for self-employed Australians

More than four-in-five self-employed Australians say their profits have taken a significant hit because of COVID-19, new analysis from ANU…


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Australians worried about infection and jobs due to COVID-19

Two-thirds of Australians say they feel anxious or worried about their own and others’ safety and more than…


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