Peter Malinauskas has been ranked the most popular state premier in the country while Jacinta Allan is least liked by voters, according to new data from pollsters DemosAU.

DemosAU compiled data of premiers’ personal ratings from all six DemosAU state voting intention polls conducted in February and March 2026.

Ranked the most popular premier, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas had a net positive score of 33% (51% positive, 18% negative) – well ahead of all other premiers.

Chris Minns (NSW), David Crisafulli (QLD), Roger Cook (WA) and Jeremy Rockliff (Tasmania) all scored positive ratings in the 30s with Minns and Crisafulli receiving net positive scores of 21% and 16% respectively.

Roger Cook had a net positive score of 6% and Jeremy Rockliff (2%).

By far the most unpopular premier was Jacinta Allan (Victoria) who had a net positive score of -37% (16% positive, 53% negative).

DemosAU Head of Research George Hasanakos said the findings were a reliable snapshot of how voters felt about their leaders. 

“Without a doubt we see a very popular leader in Peter Malinauskas, who has been able to obtain a positive rating from more than half an electorate. In an era of general skepticsm of politicians, this is no mean feat.”, Mr Hasanakos said.

“This bodes very well for Mr Malinauskas around one week out from the state election.

“Chris Minns’s popularity has continued to climb since his response to the Bondi terror attacks, putting NSW Labor in a very good position a year out from the next state election. ”

“David Crisafulli remains popular with Queensland voters around 17 months since being elected, which appears to have helped the LNP withstand the surge in support to One Nation.”

“In Western Australia, Roger Cook has a modest net positive rating as he helms a government that has been in power for nearly a decade.

“In Victoria, Jacinta Allan is definitely struggling as Labor seeks a fourth term with voters leaning towards calling time on the incumbent in Spring Street.

Mr Hasanakos said DemosAU tested the popularity of each leader during state based polls conducted during February and March.

In each poll, respondents were asked whether they had a positive or negative view of a range of leading political figures, including the state Premier. These results were used to form the comparison table above.

Notes on State Samples:

Tasmania: 1,071 Tasmanian voters, conducted from 27 January to 12 February 2026 with an effective margin of error of +/- 3.6 per cent.

South Australia: 1070 SA voters, conducted between 31 January 2026 and 16 February 2026 with an effective margin of error of +/-3.6%.

Victoria: 1,274 Victorian voters, conducted from 1-10 February 2026, with an effective margin of error of +/-3.6%.

Queensland: 1,044 Queenslanders, conducted from 10-20 February 2026 with an effective margin of error of +/- 3.7 per cent.

Western Australia: 969 Western Australian voters, conducted from 12 to 23 February 2026 with an effective margin of error of +/- 3.8 per cent.

NSW: 1,032 New South Wales, conducted from 24 February to 04 March 2026 with an effective margin of error of +/- 3.6 per cent.