CANBERRA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Australian voters have rated cost of living as their biggest issue ahead of the general election.
According to a YouGov survey published by News Corp Australia on Monday, 50 percent of respondents said the cost of food, petrol and household bills will determine how they vote in the election.
The cost of living was followed by healthcare, the economy, and climate change as the next biggest issues, with 37, 34 and 32 percent of participants identifying them as key issues respectively.
Almost half of the respondents - 43 percent - said they do not consider themselves supporters of any particular party.
The general election for the 47th Parliament of Australia is due to be held in the first half of 2022, with experts predicting a May poll.
Recent polls have found the Opposition Labor Party holds a significant lead over the governing Coalition, which has been in power since 2013.
The YouGov survey found that young Australians and those who earn more than 100,000 Australian dollars per year were more likely to be concerned about climate change.
Older Australians rated the economy and healthcare as their biggest issues.
A separate poll published by Nine Entertainment newspapers corroborated YouGov's findings, with 86 percent of respondents rating cost of living as important to their decision on how to vote.
The Resolve Political Monitor found 29 percent of voters believe the Coalition is better-equipped to keep the cost of living costs down compared to 28 percent for Labor.
"In a free-market economy governments don't control prices, of course, which is why no single party is seen to lead on keeping living costs down," Resolve director Jim Reed said.
"When it comes to cost of living pressures, groceries top the bill for all income brackets, and are a particular pinch point for those on lower incomes. That's not surprising given that they're a necessary fixed cost that affects everyone, whereas housing, car and associated insurance costs only affect particular groups." ■