A profile of Australians aligned with the sovereign citizen movement

Person walking in corridor of building behind crowd of people
Abstract

In this study we developed a profile of individuals aligned with the sovereign citizen movement. In a survey of 9,951 Australian adults conducted in late 2024, 1.8 percent of respondents identified with and held beliefs that aligned with this movement.

These respondents were a diverse group. They were more likely than other respondents to be male and under 35 years, to have had contact with the criminal justice system for violent offences, to own firearms, to engage in frequent religious observance and to have changed religion, and to be serving in the Australian military. They were also more likely to report various negative life events, to engage in conspiratorial thinking, to hold strong anti-government and other extreme views, to have misogynistic attitudes and to support extremist violence.

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