Support The Moscow Times!

Russians Lead the World in Lack of Institutional Trust – Survey

Moskva News Agency

Russians have one of the lowest levels of institutional trust in the world, including trust in NGOs, businesses and international organizations, according to a survey of 26 major economies published this week.

Russia has consistently ranked as having one of the lowest levels of public trust in the annual “Trust Barometer” survey conducted by Edelman, a public relations firm. Edelman has included Russia in the survey since 2007.

Russia placed dead last among 26 countries in levels of trust toward NGOs, businesses, the media, the European Union, as well as the United Nations, according to Edelman’s results made public Monday.

According to the survey, only 23 percent of Russians said they trusted NGOs, 26 percent said they trusted the media and 34 said they trusted their government.

While 63 percent of Russians said they had trust in their employer, the country placed in 24th place in the category — slightly ahead of South Korea and Japan.

All of the trust indicators among Russians declined from 2018, including a drop of 10 percent in trust in government.

The latest trust barometer suggests that only one-fifth of the world’s respondents believe that the economic, political and social system is working for them. Roughly half of all respondents said the system was failing them.

Edelman conducted the online survey among 33,000 people – divided into two categories of university-educated high-income respondents and the general public – between Oct. 19 and Nov. 16, 2018.

The firm observed a record-high trust gap of 16 percent between the “informed” group and the general public, which narrowed in Russia from 11 percent to 6 percent between last year and 2019.

The poll was released on the eve of the World Economic Forum opening in Davos on Tuesday.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more