Budget and education drive social chatter

As leaders traded blows in the first debate of the campaign, social media was discussing the budget and education.

According to Sky News, Facebook statistics show the economy and the budget was the most discussed issue during the Friday night debate between Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten.

While on Twitter as the leaders discussed education funding tweet counts rose the highest at 340 per minute.

The largest demographic involved on Facebook was female voters aged 35 to 44 while young people, under 25, were a noticeably small group in the conversation, Sky News said.

The debate was broadcast on pay TV channel Sky on Friday night at 7pm and was held in the Windsor RSL in front of 100 swinging voters.

Mr Shorten won a poll of those in the room after the debate but 29 voters still remained undecided.

LEADERS DEBATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

* Top Facebook topics were:

- The budget

- Social welfare and benefits

- foreign policy

- government transparency

- environment

- terrorism

* The top group of people involved were 35 to 44-year-old women, followed by 45 to 55-year-old men.

* Top state and territory involved was ACT followed by Tasmania and NT.

SOURCE: Sky News and Twitter