Five Things We Learned About... Edelman's Trust Barometer 2025

Trust is in trouble.

Edelman’s Trust Barometer is in its 25th year, where it continues to spotlight global attitudes towards trust. For 2025 it finds that, more than ever, there’s an absence of it. 

The annual report investigates trust levels within four quadrants of society: business, media, government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and findings derive from a survey conducted in October 2024 across 28 countries with a total of 33,000 respondents that include at least 1,000 individuals from each country. 

The concept of trust of one that influences all pathways of society - whether people are particularly conscious of it. It’s a “battle for a civil society”, according to Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman. “Trust is traditionally conveyed from the top-down,” he explains. “We’ve lost that from leaders and it’s moved peer-to-peer. What happened during Covid moved trust lower which is continuing.” 

Within trust lies the concept of grievance - the idea of feeling resentment or injustice. Globally, there is a grievance crisis; the higher the levels of grievance, the lower the levels of trust. “Grievance imposes a trust penalty,” as labelled in the report. 

The key takeaway is that while the world’s trust levels are low in numbers, it’s trust in government is the lowest of the four categories investigated. 17 countries showed firm distrust for their governments (52 per cent overall). 

Of the 28 countries involved in the Trust Barometer 13 had general elections in the build-up to the report, yet, interestingly, only two saw significant movements in their trust. Argentina and South Africa both saw significant increases in trust - the former remains in the ‘distrust’ zone (a percentage score between one and 49) and the latter in the neutral zone (percentage score between 50 and 59). The remaining 11 countries remain unmoved in not trusting government. 

In 2024 the UK ranked bottom in trust levels for government (39 per cent); despite rising to 43 per cent in 2025 and no longer the lowest-scoring, it remains in a distrust zone. 

“Now, if that’s what looks like a relatively settled picture at a macro level, underneath, there's a worsening picture,” begins Ed Williams, president, international, Edelman. “We're more worried this year than we've seen historically, in a sense, that our leaders are lying to us.” 

Williams goes on to explain how these attitudes of distrust towards leadership expand onto media and business as well as government, where every category sees a double-digit significant rise in distrust compared to 2021:11 per cent for government leaders, 12 per cent for business leaders and 11 per cent for journalists and reporters.

A somewhat worrying statistic from the report reveals an increase in support for hostile activism amongst global communities. “Hostile activism is defined as attacking people online, intentionally spreading disinformation, threatening or committing violence and damaging private property,” explains Williams. 

53 per cent of those globally aged 18-34 see hostile activism as a viable means to drive change compared to 26 per cent of those aged 55+. “In other words,” concludes Williams. “The majority of younger people would support extreme tactics to push for change now say, ‘danger to stop the situation’.”

“In the UK we found that one in three now see hostile activism as a viable means to drive change which rises to six in 10 for those aged 18-34,” says Ruth Warder, CEO, Edelman UK. “Of those who approve of hostile activism to drive change, 24 per cent see that through areas like attacking people online, 21 per cent spreading disinformation, 19 per cent for damaging properties, and 17 per cent committing violence.” 

The report does show one real positive in that individuals see businesses as both competent and ethical. They are the only category of the four that is seen in this light, where individuals globally see business as an avenue for future growth, such as providing good-paying jobs in local communities. However, some still think business aren’t going far enough to address societal issues, such as discrimination, and therefore need to do so to continue strengthening trust levels.

“2021 saw business rise to be the most trusted institution in the world and it’s continued that position because business gets stuff done,” explains Edelman. “Business is a relative shining star - not an absolute shining star.”

Here are five things we learned from reading the report:

• Global fears about discrimination is at an all-time high for all genders and all ages. The report sees a 10 point increase worldwide from 2024, with 63 per cent of people saying they are worried about experiencing prejudice, discrimination or racism. “We’ve reached all-time highs in the majority of countries,” explains Williams. “There are double-digit increases in 15 of the 28 countries we measured and this fear comes across developing markets and all democracies.”

• Trust for future generations to thrive is low. “When asked whether they believe the next generation will be better off, only a little over one in three globally agree,” says Williams.

  In the UK, just 17 per cent of respondents believe the next generation will be better off compared to today - a finding that Warder describes as “striking”.

• Trust levels differ from high to low income brackets. 22 of the 28 countries see a double-digit increase in inequalities between high and low income brackets when it comes to trusting government, business, NGOs and media. In the UK, those with high income scored overall trust as 49 per cent compared to 37 per cent in low income scores.

• Six in 10 hold grievances against business, government and the rich, agreeing with statements such as: ‘Businesses and government serve select few’, ‘The system favours the rich’, and ‘The rich are getting richer’.

• Despite businesses being more trusted compared to government, media and NGOs, there is still a belief that they need to be doing more to address topical issues; 62 per cent of people globally believe businesses could be doing more to tackle climate change and 64 per cent believe affordability is something that needs to be better addressed.