The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a widespread lack of trust in institutions, with a record high of 70% of respondents believing that government officials, business leaders, and journalists intentionally mislead the public. The survey also highlights a surge in fear of discrimination, economic insecurity, and a lack of hope for the future.
Edelman has been conducting its annual trust survey for a quarter-century, and this year's findings are particularly alarming. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer , released Sunday, found an unprecedented lack of faith in institutional leaders, with a record 70% of respondents saying they believe government officials, business leaders, and journalists deliberately mislead them.
The survey, which polled 33,000 people across 28 countries, also revealed that the fear of facing discrimination is at its highest point ever. In the U.S. alone, 50% of the white population expressed feeling discriminated against, while more than 60% feel aggrieved by inflation, job loss risk, and downward social mobility. The findings also indicated an unprecedented decline in employer trust worldwide. 'Of the highly-aggrieved their observed experience is: You've got high inflation, you've got job risk, globalization, and, 'Is business really looking out for us?' said Edelman CEO Richard Edelman. 'I think it's a moment in time for business to perform better,' he told FOX Business in an interview. 'To reskill, to pay good wages, to have affordable products, and do what business does best, which is have an impact by making a profit.' Another trend shown in the findings is a lack of hope for the next generation. Confidence in a better future is at just 36%, with lows in every Western democracy, including France (9%), the UK (17%), and the U.S. (30%). People are increasingly viewing violence as a solution to their grievances, with 4 in 10 respondents, and 53% of those aged 18–34, saying they approve of violence, property damage, or misinformation as tools for change. Simultaneously, 67% of respondents said they are convinced the wealthy take more than their fair share, three-quarters overall report having financial issues due to inflation, and respondents increasingly see capitalism as a failure due to their economic situations, with 55% of 18–34-year-olds saying capitalism does more harm than good. 'It's amazing to me that half the people in our study now question whether capitalism works – that's a bad thing,' Edelman said, suggesting the reason could be because capitalism has been performing well for some and less well for others, or possibly because of how it's been positioned by certain politicians. 'But we have to make sure that people believe the system works,' he said. 'And it's not just the political system, it's the economic system, unfairness. And I think the last thing that's happened that's really important over the years is the battle for truth and the breakdown of the information system.
Edelman Trust Barometer Trust Institutions Discrimination Economic Insecurity Capitalism Future
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