International | Eroding trust in government

Confidence crumbles

ECONOMIC woes, unpopular wars and nuclear meltdowns have eroded public trust in the authorities. Only 40% of citizens in the mostly-rich countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development expressed confidence in their national governments in 2012, down five percentage points from 2007. The drop is big in countries hardest hit by recession: more than 20 percentage points in Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Only 12% of Greeks trust their leaders, compared with almost 80% in Switzerland (where faith in government rose in 2007-2012). Falling public confidence in national government affects not just political stability, but also weakens civic traits such as paying tax and participation in vaccination programmes. The dispiriting data, from a Gallup poll in a report published by the OECDon November 14th, stands in contrast with opinion in big emerging countries, where around 54% of citizens have confidence in their governments.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline "Confidence crumbles"

Every step you take

From the November 16th 2013 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

Discover more

Narendra Modi’s secret weapon: India’s diaspora

Migrants help campaign for the prime minister at home and lobby for the country abroad

Why young men and women are drifting apart

Diverging worldviews could affect politics, families and more


We’re hiring a global correspondent

An opportunity to join our editorial staff in London