Wellcome Global Monitor reports decline in global trust in science

The Wellcome Global Monitor 2026, a study involving over 140,000 people across 140 countries, reports that global trust in science has declined to 72 per cent as of 2025. This figure is lower than the 77 per cent recorded in 2018, despite a peak of 80 per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Findings indicate that economic status is a significant factor in this trend. Individuals who feel they are struggling financially report much lower levels of trust; in 2025, those living comfortably were nearly twice as likely to report “a lot” of trust in science (39 per cent) compared to those finding it difficult to get by (20 per cent).

Regional variations were noted during the report's launch at the World Health Summit in Berlin. Western and Southern Europe were the only regions where trust remained above 2018 levels. Conversely, trust in sub-Saharan Africa declined across all survey waves, with only 21 per cent of respondents reporting “a lot” of trust in 2025, down from 28 per cent in 2018.