‘Cozzie Livs’ lives on: 9 in 10 Australians say the crisis is far from over
Contrary to economists, millions of Australians believe the cost of living crisis rages on, according to new research from Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,014 respondents revealed that the vast majority of Australians (88%) believe the cost of living crisis is not over.
That's 18.8 million people who, despite some signs of economic improvement, are still feeling the pinch.
In July's Finder RBA Cash Rate Survey, almost half of experts (44%, 11/25) said they believe the crisis is over.
Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder, said that for many, the reprieve isn't coming fast enough.
"Despite talk of sunshine on the way, a lot of people feel like they're still in the middle of the storm.
"Interestingly, this crisis seems to be hitting older generations especially hard. Many are on fixed incomes or depend on their savings, so any increase in expenses or a drop in interest rates can be a real setback."
Baby boomers (95%) and gen X (92%) are feeling the most pressure from the cost of living crisis, believing it is still a major issue. Gen Y (84%) and gen Z (83%) are slightly more optimistic about the future.
Men (14%) are more likely to declare the crunch finished, compared to 9% of women.
Cooke said households should focus on what they can control.
"When inflation drives prices up, they tend to stay elevated for a long time. While you can't reverse the trend, you can regain control by examining your household budget.
"Every little bit helps, whether it's by switching providers for your insurance, home loan, or internet, or simply canceling unused subscriptions."
Do you feel like the cost of living crisis is over?
| Average Australian | Economists / experts | |
| Yes | 12% | 44% |
| No | 88% | 56% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,014 respondents, July 2025 vs Finder's RBA Cash Rate Survey in July 2025 |  |
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,014 respondents from July 2025.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
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