Global Trust in Science Drops Below Pre-Pandemic Levels in 140-Nation Survey

Out of every ten adults worldwide, seven still express at least some trust in science, a baseline that remains robust across most demographics. However, that figure represents a steep retreat from the eight in ten who reported confidence at the height of the pandemic.[1][2]

The findings emerge from the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026, which surveyed more than 140,000 people across 140 countries. The data reveals that global confidence has not merely normalized to pre-pandemic levels, but has fallen below them as public memory of the crisis fades.[1][3]

The 2026 edition represents the third wave of the monitor, following previous comprehensive studies conducted in 2018 and 2020. By utilizing extensive polling through Gallup and Ipsos, researchers constructed a globally comparable dataset that weights responses to reflect relative national populations.[1][4]

Across the surveyed nations, 72 percent of respondents in 2025 indicated they trusted science at least somewhat. That marks a significant decline from the 80 percent recorded in 2020, and drops below the 77 percent baseline established when the survey first ran in 2018.[1][4]

The erosion is even sharper at the highest levels of confidence. The proportion of people expressing a lot of trust in scientists plummeted to 32 percent in 2025, erasing a pandemic-era surge that had briefly pushed strong trust to 43 percent globally.[1][5]

The Financial Divide

The retreat in scientific confidence is not distributed evenly across populations. The steepest declines are concentrated among households that report struggling to cover their everyday living expenses, exposing a deep socioeconomic fracture in how scientific institutions are perceived.[2][4]

Among respondents who find it difficult to get by on their current income, only 20 percent reported high trust in science. In contrast, 39 percent of those who described themselves as living comfortably maintained strong confidence in scientific work.[2][5]

That financial divide has widened substantially over the last five years. Strong trust fell by 16 percentage points among financially struggling respondents between 2020 and 2025, compared with a softer 10-point drop among those in comfortable circumstances.[1][5]

Wellcome Chief Executive John-Arne Røttingen noted that marginalized groups increasingly feel left behind by technological and medical advances. “Science is seen as one of those institutions that are not delivering,” Røttingen said, emphasizing the need for better community engagement.[4]

Experiences with local healthcare systems heavily influence these broader attitudes. While 26 percent of people globally reported a lot of trust in science, that figure rose to 43 percent among individuals who maintained high confidence in their country’s hospitals and clinics.[2][4]

Political and Regional Fractures

Beyond economics, the politicization of public health measures during the pandemic continues to cast a long shadow over scientific credibility. Disputes over vaccines, mask mandates, and lockdown policies have permanently altered how some demographics view medical consensus.[4][5]

In the United States, perceptions of scientific benefit are now sharply divided by political affiliation and attitudes toward national leadership. Among Americans who disapproved of their country’s leader, 74 percent said science benefited people like them, compared with just 44 percent among those who approved.[4]

This dynamic creates a challenging environment for policymakers attempting to implement evidence-based regulations. When scientific recommendations become entangled with partisan identity, public compliance drops, forcing health agencies to navigate political minefields rather than focusing strictly on medical outcomes.[4][5]

This polarization is not unique to North America. The survey data indicates that countries with greater economic inequality tend to exhibit lower overall trust in science, a trend mirrored in nations where citizens perceive high levels of government corruption.[1][4]

Despite the downward trajectory, scientists retain a stronger public standing than many other institutional figures. The survey confirms that researchers and medical professionals remain significantly more trusted than national governments, media organizations, and journalists across nearly all surveyed regions.[2][5]

Public Health Consequences

The decline in institutional trust carries immediate, practical consequences for global health initiatives. Public health officials warn that eroding confidence directly correlates with rising vaccine hesitancy, complicating efforts to manage seasonal outbreaks and prevent the resurgence of previously contained diseases.[3][4]

When asked about immunization, respondents demonstrated varying degrees of hesitancy that track closely with their overall faith in scientific institutions. The survey points to a direct connection between declining trust and a reluctance to accept recommended vaccinations promptly.[2][4]

The real-world impact of this hesitancy is already materializing across multiple regions. Public health experts note that as vaccination rates decline in tandem with institutional trust, communities face a heightened risk of preventable diseases resurging after decades of successful containment.[3][4]

Rebuilding Institutional Confidence

Reversing this trend will require scientific organizations to fundamentally change how they communicate with skeptical populations. Researchers must move beyond simply publishing data and actively demonstrate how their work improves daily life for marginalized communities.[2][4]

The challenge is compounded by an increasingly fragmented media landscape where misinformation spreads rapidly. Scientific institutions are now competing directly with alternative narratives that often validate the frustrations of individuals who feel ignored by traditional authorities.[2][3]

“We haven’t been good enough at explaining and engaging with those groups and those communities on how science is benefiting them,” Røttingen said. He stressed that the scientific community must take responsibility for bridging the widening communication gap.[4]

The data suggests that improving baseline healthcare access could serve as a powerful mechanism for restoring broader faith in science. Because trust in researchers is so closely tied to hospital experiences, strengthening local clinics may indirectly boost confidence in global scientific consensus.[2][4]

The ultimate trajectory of public trust remains uncertain as the world moves further from the pandemic era. The next iteration of the global survey will reveal whether confidence stabilizes at this lower baseline, or if ongoing economic pressures continue to erode faith in scientific institutions.[1][2]