A nation of "worrying women" is contributing to a lack of confidence in Australia's economy, new research has found.
Just 30 per cent of Australian women are confident the country will avoid an economic downturn, according to a survey released on Friday by Million Dollar Woman insurance company.
This compared to 47 per cent of men who are confident Australia will escape financial hardship.
The findings come amid significant turbulence in world financial markets and the downgrading of the US's credit rating.
"The depressed levels of Australian women's financial confidence could go some way to explaining the reasons for Australian households' diminished levels of spending," Million Dollar Woman chief executive Lynette Argent said.
The survey, which asked 1870 people about their financial wellbeing and security, found Australian women tend to be more in debt than men.
Women owe $2.60 for every dollar they earn, compared to $2.10 owed by men, the report found.
And 29 per cent of working Australian women believe they are worse off in 2011 compared to last year - four per cent more than men (25 per cent).
However, full-time working women from Western Australia bucked the trend, with 66 per cent saying they were confident of their financial security and wellbeing in 2011.
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