Total number of survey respondents
In 2025, 96,727 Victorian public sector employees voluntarily responded to the People matter survey 2025 (compared to 106,566 in 2024).
We calculate the response rate among employees from organisations that participate in the survey.
The overall response rate was 33% (down from 44% in 2024).
The decrease in overall response rate in 2025 is a result of the drop in participation among public health organisations (17% response rate in 2025 compared to 34% in 2024). As a result, public health respondents made up 28% of People matter survey respondents in 2025 (compared to 46% in 2024).
In 2025, several organisations didn't participate in the People matter survey. Industry-level results for water and land management were impacted more by non-participation than other industries. This is because of the relative size of the organisations that didn't participate.
The organisations that didn't participate in 2025 include:
- Agriculture Victoria Services Pty Ltd
- Ballarat General Cemeteries Trust
- Environment Protection Authority
- Goulburn Valley Region Water Corporation
- Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust
- Latrobe Valley Authority
- Melbourne Water Corporation
- Mildura Base Public Hospital
- North East Link State Tolling Corporation
- Old Treasury Building Reserve Committee of Management
- Point Leo Foreshore and Public Parks Reserves Committee of Management Inc
- Victorian Pharmacy Authority
- Victorian Fisheries Authority.
Number of survey responses by industry
Creative industries, finance, transport and other
- 11,992 respondents
- 12% of total respondents
- 65% response rate (compared to 60% in 2024)
Organisations that didn't participate in the People matter survey 2025:
- Agriculture Victoria Services Pty Ltd
- Ballarat General Cemeteries Trust
- Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust
- North East Link State Tolling Corporation
Police and emergency services (non-VPS employees)
- 6,219 respondents
- 6% of total respondents
- 18% response rate
Public health care
- 27,241 respondents
- 28% of total respondents (compared to 46% in 2024)
- 17% response rate (compared to 34% in 2024)
Organisations that didn't participate in the People matter survey 2025:
- Mildura Base Public Hospital
TAFE and other education
- 7,736 respondents
- 8% of total respondents
- 77% response rate (compared to 66% in 2024)
Victorian Public Service
- 37,035 respondents
- 38% of total respondents
- 63% response rate (compared to 64% in 2024)
Organisations that didn't participate in the People matter survey 2025:
- Environment Protection Authority
- Victorian Fisheries Authority.
Water and land management
- 6,504 respondents
- 7% of total respondents
- 72% response rate (compared to 71% in 2024)
Organisations that didn't participate in the People matter survey 2025:
- Goulburn Valley Region Water Corporation
- Melbourne Water Corporation.
Survey response rate by industry
We don’t show the data from 2020 as some organisations did not take part in the 2020 survey as they were responding to the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and floods. Therefore, the 2020 data isn’t a true representation of the public sector.