The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a world retreating towards insularity. As economic anxiety, geopolitical tension, and technological disruption intensify, people are narrowing their world to smaller, familiar circles that reflect their views, and this hinders economic and societal progress.
Read the 2026 report to understand a path forward to restoring trust and rebuilding connection and collaboration across society.
Seventy percent are unwilling or hesitant to trust someone who has different values, facts, problem-solving approaches, or cultural background.
The majority believe it is a problem that people in their country distrust those with differences so much that they actively try to make things worse for one another.
Globally, all institutions have a mandate to bridge divides and facilitate trust building. Employers are best positioned to broker trust, as they have the best performance score.
The 2026 Trust Barometer is the 26th annual edition of the global trust survey. Nearly 34,000 people in 28 countries were interviewed online in 30-minute interviews between October 25 and November 16, 2025.
Globally, just 32% believe the next generation will be better off, with the biggest declines in India (-13 pts), and China (-13 pts) over the past year.
People who trust influencers say they would trust or consider trusting a company they currently distrust if it were vouched for by someone they already trust, such as a food or lifestyle influencer (62%, among the 48% who trust one) or a financial influencer (57%, among the 44% who trust one).
Since 2012, the gap in trust between high- and low-income groups has more than doubled globally, with trust steadily rising among high earners while stagnating or lagging among low-income groups. The U.S. now shows the largest income-based trust gap at 29 points.
Download the report, explore the findings and learn how we can help your company bridge the gap.
The Edelman Trust Barometers includes data on trust in businesses, media, government and NGOs in Portugal and globally — an essential reference for any corporate communication strategy.