New Zealanders in Australia are unhappier than any other type of immigrants.

They also distrust Australian politicians and government institutions more than almost any other group.

A new comprehensive survey of experiences of Australian life, released by the Scanlon Foundation and Monash University on Wednesday, also finds nearly three in 10 Kiwis say the thing they like least about Australia is the racism and discrimination here.

Report author Andrew Markus says that although New Zealanders do relatively well economically, there's a strong sense of discrimination because they don't get access to the same welfare and government assistance as other immigrants.