Seventy per cent of Australians agree that Australia is the best country in the world to live in but young people are not as convinced.

ABC’s Australia Talks National Survey of more than 54,000 found that among 18 to 24-year-olds just 24 per cent “strongly agree” that Australia is the best country, compared with 61 per cent of older Australians.

Rita Panahi tells Steve Price young people need to travel and read more widely.

“They used to say ignorance is bliss but these days it seems like ignorance is misery.

“If you don’t know what’s happening in the rest of the world then you can sit and be miserable about anything that’s wrong in Australia, but we are so lucky compared to just about any other country around.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview