Luke Costin
(Australian Associated Press)

Many Australians are pessimistic about how liveable the country will be in 10 years’ time, with rising living and housing costs the leading concerns identified in a new survey.

A poll by National Australia Bank of 2,000 Australian adults shows that while nine in 10 adults believe the country is a great place to live now, just 55 per cent think it will still be that way in 2028.

The results of the poll, released on Tuesday, show the costs of living and housing to be among the main causes of concern for the future, led by overwhelmingly bleak reactions from Tasmanians and those over the age of 50.

Worries about future costs mirror concerns expressed over the past decade, with a recent Victorian Council of Social Services report finding housing and energy costs have far outpaced wage growth over the past decade.

The NAB survey also found pessimists outnumber optimists on most subjects, including immigration, social welfare and jobs.

Respondents were polled on 27 issues but only delivered a net positive result about the outlook for four: entertainment, public transport, social inclusion and telecommunications.

And even then, far more were cynical about the future of phone and internet connections than they were at same time last year.

Anxiety about power and water prices in 2028 also increased.

NAB Group Chief Economist Alan Oster said the drop in the outlook for telecommunications and utilities perhaps reflected concerns about the rollout of the NBN and the current spike in energy prices.

On the positive side, respondents listed open spaces, the people and lifestyle as the main factors making Australia a great place to live at present.

AUSTRALIA NOW AND IN THE FUTURE – KEY FINDINGS:

* 88 per cent say Australia a great place to live in 2018 while six per cent say it isn’t

* 55 per cent say Australia be a better place to live in 2028

* Open spaces, people and lifestyle, and safety are rated as the top features that make Australia a great place to live

* Entertainment, public transport, social inclusion and telecommunications are the only things expected to improve by 2028

* Living costs, housing and safety are the biggest features expected to deteriorate by 2028

Source: NAB Life In The Lucky Country report