Coronavirus: Global trust in government surges to record high
Trust in governments around the world has soared to an all-time high since January as countries continued to battle the coronavirus crisis, according to the latest research.
Government trust surged 11 points to a record high of 65 per cent, as populations looked to government to take the lead on all aspects of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a global survey by Edelman, 73 per cent of respondents said the government was responsible for containing the pandemic, 72 per cent believed it should inform the public and 72 per cent said it should help people cope.
In total 86 per cent said they expected the government to provide economic relief and support, while 79 per cent it was government’s job to get the country back to normal after the coronavirus pandemic.
“The spring update shows a striking comeback for government…the public is relying on government to protect them in a manner not seen since World War II,” the report said.
“Trust in government is not only up by double digits in six of 11 markets surveyed, it is the only institution trusted by the mass population.”
In the UK trust in the government jumped to 60 per cent, according to Edelman’s trust barometer, which surveyed 1,200 people across Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the UK and the US.
Trust in business and non government organisations (NGOs) increased four points to 62 per cent, and the public’s faith in the media increased five points to 56 per cent during the coronavirus crisis.
In total 56 per cent of respondents said they were very concerned about losing their job due to the pandemic and not being able to find a new job for a very long time.
Meanwhile 67 per cent said they were worried about the spread of fake news relating to coronavirus.