AT A GLANCE
A global survey of institutional trust covering 119,088 respondents across 113 countries. Measures trust in government, scientists, journalists, doctors/nurses, NGOs, neighbors, and traditional healers using a four-point scale.
Key Highlights:
- Sample: 119,088 respondents from 113 countries
- Minimum Coverage: 1,000+ respondents per country
- Scale: Four-point (a lot / some / not much / not at all)
- Two Files: Individual-level survey responses + country-level aggregated trust rates
- Institutions: Government, scientists, journalists, healthcare, NGOs, neighbors
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Both data files share the same variable structure — the Survey file includes individual IDs while the Rate file aggregates by country. The large minimum sample per country provides strong statistical representation for cross-national analyses.
Research Applications:
- Cross-national comparisons of institutional trust
- Social capital and civic engagement research
- Governance quality and trust relationship analysis
- Cultural determinants of institutional confidence
Subject Terms: institutional trust, social capital, comparative politics, global survey, cross-national data, governance
SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
- Geographic Coverage: 113 countries worldwide
- Smallest Geographic Unit: Individual respondent / country-level aggregate
- Time Period: See documentation for survey administration dates
- Universe: Adult populations across 113 countries
- Unit of Observation: Individual respondent (Survey) / country aggregate (Rates)
- Sample: 119,088 respondents; minimum 1,000 per country
- Data Type: Survey data
Data Collection: Global survey with minimum 1,000 respondents per country. Two data files: individual-level response data and country-level aggregated trust percentages.
CITATION
University of Maryland, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences [distributor]. Global Trust Survey. BSOS Social Science Data Repository, 2026. https://bsos-data.umd.edu/dataset/global-trust-survey
FILES & DOCUMENTATION
Available:
- Global Trust Survey (CSV)
- Global Trust National Rates (CSV)
Planned Additions:
- Data Dictionary — Trust scale coding, country identifiers, variable definitions
- Survey Methodology — Sampling design, weighting, and translation procedures