Research digested: 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer: Trust Amid Insularity, Edelman

About this research

Edelman’s annual trust research surveyed 33,938 people across 28 countries. This year’s theme is trust at a time when people are becoming more insular.

Key findings

  • Global Trust Index increased to 57 (+1 point) with trust in developing countries  66 (+3) far ahead of this in developed countries: 49 (+1)
  • Trust gap between high- and low-income groups grew from 6 points (2012) to 15 points (2026)
  • 70% are hesitant or unwilling to trust people who are different from them
  • Majority in 25 of 28 markets hold this mindset
  • Trust is moving from institutions to personal networks with a net trust gain of +11 points for neighbours/friends as opposed to net trust loss of -16 points for government leaders (40% lost vs 24% gained)
  • Only 32% believe the next generation will be better off (-4 points YoY)
  • 39% engage with different political viewpoints at least weekly (-6 points YoY)
  • 65% worry foreign actors spread misinformation (+11 points since 2021)
  • 66% worry about trade/tariff conflicts affecting their company
  • Differences in values and identity are directly affecting productivity, workplace cohesion, and openness to global business with 42% saying they would reduce effort for a manager with different political beliefs, 34% saying they would switch departments over value differences and 34% saying would support fewer foreign companies even at higher prices
  • Trust in institutions remains uneven but employers lead the way (78%), business 964%), NGOs (58%), media (54%) and government (53%)
  • 35% say businesses should encourage cooperation without taking sides
  • 82% say promoting shared identity at work would help build trust.

What to act on

Organisations need to recognise that trust is no longer broadly institutional – it is increasingly local and personal. With global trust at 57% and a widening gap between high- and low-income groups (15 points), trust strategies must be more targeted and inclusive. This means designing policies and communications that explicitly address different socioeconomic groups, rather than assuming a single “general public.”

There is a clear mandate to counter insularity. With 70% of people hesitant to trust those who are different and only 39% regularly exposed to opposing views, organisations should actively create environments that encourage cross-group interaction. Internally, this includes structuring teams and workflows to require collaboration across differences and investing in training for constructive dialogue- actions supported by 81–82% of employees as effective. This matters because workplace division is already affecting productivity, with 42% saying they would reduce effort for a leader with different beliefs.

Trust is shifting toward local and familiar networks, meaning organisations must embed themselves more deeply in communities. The data shows trust in personal circles is rising (+11), while trust in national leaders is falling (-16). For multinational organisations, this reinforces the need to build long-term, local relationships -such as hiring locally and investing in community projects – which 46% and 48% respectively say would increase trust.

Employers are uniquely positioned to build trust, with 78% trust in employers and the smallest expectation-reality gap among institutions, there is an opportunity to lead on this.

Read the report https://www.edelman.com/trust/2026/trust-barometer