Social democratic and labour parties across the world have experienced unprecedented declines in their support base since the 1960s. Where once occupational class and (occasionally) religion shaped their support, now a combination of generation, gender, education and assets have come to determine their electoral fortunes. Some parties, such as the Swedish Social Democratic Party or the UK Labour Party, have adapted well to these changes. Other parties, such as the Social Democratic Party of Germany or the Dutch Labor Party, have experienced continuing, long-term decline. The Australian Labor Party has not been immune from these significant socioeconomic changes in centre-left party support around the world, while remaining electorally competitive. In this paper, we examine how the support among different social and economic groups for Labor has gradually changed from the 1960s to the present. Using the 1987-2025 Australian Election Study surveys as well as the Australian National Political Attitudes Surveys conducted in 1967, 1969 and 1979, we trace how support for Labor has evolved over more than half a century.
