A poll on Sunday revealed that Australian public support for a republic has slumped to a 16-year low, with more Australians in favor of retaining the monarchy for now.

The Nielsen poll, published in Fairfax newspapers on Sunday, was conducted two weeks before the federal election.

When asked if Australia should become a republic, 48 percent of the 1400 respondents were opposed to constitutional change (a rise of 8 percent since 2008), while 44 percent said we should change ( a drop of 8 percent since 2008).

When questioned further, 31 percent said Australia should never become a republic, 29 percent said Australia should become a republic as soon as possible, and 34 percent said Australia should become a republic only after Queen Elizabeth II’s reign ends.

Backing for a republic is at its lowest since 1994 – five years before Australia had a referendum on the topic.

Nielsen pollster John Stirton said on Saturday that despite the slump, there was a sense of inevitability that Australia would one day become a republic, with a large number backing Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s stance that the issue should be closely considered after a change of monarchy.

“These results suggest Australians will be more likely to support a republic when Queen Elizabeth II is no longer on the throne,” Stirton told ABC on Sunday.