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OECD Trust in Government 2019-22

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Trust in Government by Country 2024

It is ideal if citizens of a certain country have a high amount of trust in their government. However, this is often not the case. The nation that ranks highest in trust in government by country is Switzerland.

According to the most recent data available, which is from 2020, Swiss citizens have 84.6% trust in their government. It is worth noting that the nation of Switzerland is not #1 in trust in government by a large margin. The country with the second-highest amount of trust in the government is less than two percent behind Switzerland.

Country
OECD Trust in Government 2019-22
Switzerland83.78%
Luxembourg78.02%
Finland77.54%
Sweden68.79%
Norway63.61%
Denmark63.54%
Ireland62.34%
Austria61.05%
Germany60.76%
Costa Rica60.01%

Norway is #2 in Trust in Government

The nation that ranks second on this list is the Scandinavian country of Norway. The most recent statistics indicate that 82.9% of Norwegian citizens trust their government. It is notable that the two top countries on this list are both Scandinavian countries.

You should also know that this poll was conducted between 2010 and 2018. This helps make the statistics more accurate. Trust in government in this poll means that respondents said that they have trust in their country's national government. You should keep in mind that these stats are simply estimates based on the respondents' answers to the survey question.

Finland Has The Third-Highest Amount of Trust in Government

The country of Finland ranks third on the list of trust in government by country. The poll estimates that 80.9% of Finnish citizens trust their national government. These high numbers for Scandinavian countries are understandable, given that Scandinavian countries typically rank very highly in terms of overall quality of life. Countries with a higher quality of life naturally tend to have greater trust in their national government. The Netherlands is just below Finland in trust in government, with an estimate of 78.1% trust in government.

Where Does the United States Rank in Trust in Government?

The United States is well-known for many of its citizens being distrustful of the national government. The estimates largely reflect this fact. The United States has 46.5% trust in the government, according to the latest data.

It is possible that the amount of trust in the government could vary significantly among people with different political beliefs. However, the survey did not ask any questions about people's political beliefs, so it is impossible to figure out for sure. In terms of trust in the national government, the United States ranks below countries such as Lithuania, Russia, and Turkey.

  • OECD Trust in Government scores represent the percentage of people in each OECD country who reported having confidence in their national government. Data was collected during various years from 2019-2022.
  • The ETB (Edelman Trust Barometer) Index represents the average level of trust each country's residents have in four key institutions: their government, business, media, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations). ETB scores range from 0-100, with higher scores indicating a greater level of trust.
Country
OECD Trust in Government 2019-22
EBT Index 2024
EBT Index 2023
Switzerland83.78%
Luxembourg78.02%
Finland77.54%
Sweden68.79%4949
Norway63.61%
Denmark63.54%
Ireland62.34%4748
Austria61.05%
Germany60.76%4546
Costa Rica60.01%
Portugal58.92%
Belgium57.24%
Mexico52.88%5961
Iceland51.53%
New Zealand51.39%
South Africa50.9%4947
Estonia50.85%
Canada50.67%5352
Australia49.91%5248
Netherlands47.23%5654
Russia45.7%
Slovenia45.07%
Hungary44.19%
Israel43.96%
South Korea43.38%4336
France43.35%4747
Japan43.15%3938
Turkey42.6%
United Kingdom39.48%3943
Brazil39.16%5353
Spain37.17%4644
Italy35.43%5050
Poland34.16%
Czech Republic34.08%
United States31.02%4648
Lithuania30.38%
Colombia29.68%4751
Latvia29.46%
Chile28.72%
Greece25.63%
Slovakia21.58%
India0%7673
China0%7983
Indonesia0%7375
Nigeria0%5956
Thailand0%7066
Kenya0%6463
Argentina0%3942
Saudi Arabia0%7271
Malaysia0%6862
United Arab Emirates0%7474
Singapore0%7066
showing: 52 rows

Which countries have the highest trust in government?

Switzerland, where approximately 84% of people report trusting the government, is the country that enjoys the highest level of trust in its home government in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources