In the 2023 Trust survey, respondents were asked to rate their interpersonal and institutional trust levels on a 0-10-point scale from ‘0 Not at all’ to ‘10 Completely’. The mean score for each trust level indicator was calculated by adding individual scores and dividing the total by the number of individuals using weights for each individual (see Background Notes for more details). In line with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD’s) recommended groupings, responses were grouped as Don’t trust (0-4), Neutral (5), or Trust (6-10).
Highest levels of trust were found in most people (mean 6.7) when compared to other institutions such as political parties, civil service and the media (see Table 3.1 below). More than eight in ten respondents (83%) reported they trusted most people, up from 78% in 2021.
Differences in trust scores between men and women were found, with more men than women reporting that they trusted their national government. Approximately five in ten men and four in ten women reported they trusted their national government.
When examining differences between age groups, the national government (the Taoiseach and government ministers) saw the biggest difference in mean trust scores with younger respondents having lower mean trust scores compared to older age groups (aged 18 to 29 years mean trust score 4.0, aged 30 to 49 years mean trust score 4.4, aged 50 years and over mean trust score 5.5).
More than eight in ten (82.5%) respondents reported they trusted most people. This has increased since 2021 where 78% of respondents reported trusting most people.
Older respondents had a higher mean trust score in most people compared to younger respondents. Respondents aged 50 and over had a mean trust score of 6.9 while respondents aged 30 to 49 years and aged 18 to 29 years had mean trust scores of 6.6.
Respondents were asked how comfortable they would feel asking a neighbour to keep a set of keys to their home for emergencies, for example if they were locked out. Answer options to this question were very comfortable, fairly comfortable, fairly uncomfortable and very uncomfortable. Approximately half of respondents reported they would be very comfortable to do so.
Similar levels of the percentage of respondents who would feel very comfortable leaving their keys with a neighbour were seen when comparing those living in rural areas versus towns versus cities (55.1%, 54.5% and 51.5% respectively). The percentage of respondents living in rural areas who would feel very comfortable leaving their keys with a neighbour dropped from 67% in 2021 compared to 55.1% in 2023.
When examined by age, respondents aged 18 to 29 years were less likely to feel very comfortable leaving their keys with a neighbour (36.3%) compared to those aged 50 and over (65.1%).
More than nine in ten (92.5%) respondents believed that a lost wallet or purse containing €100 and their identity details would be returned if it was found by a neighbour compared to 96% of respondents in the 2021 Trust Survey. Approximately four in ten respondents believed their wallet or purse would be returned if found by a stranger.
Four in ten respondents (41.5%) trusted their local government compared to 46.6% reporting they trusted their national government. For both categories, there was a decrease in the levels of trust seen in the 2021 Trust survey where 45% of respondents reported trusting the local government and 51% of respondents reported they trusted the national government.
Approximately half of respondents reported they trusted the Oireachtas.
Respondents who voted for a party currently in government had higher levels of trust in local and national levels of government compared to those who voted for a party not currently in government. This was also the case in the 2021 Trust survey. Mean trust scores for respondents who voted for the party currently in government in the last election were 5.2 for local government and 5.7 in national government. Respondents who voted for a party not currently in government had mean trust scores of 4.2 in local government and 3.4 in national government.
Mean score for trust in the Oireachtas was also higher among those who voted for the party currently in government (mean trust score 5.8) compared to those who did not (mean trust score 4.1).
Respondents had a mean trust score of 3.9 when asked whether they trusted political parties. In both the 2023 and 2021 Trust survey, approximately one in four respondents reported they trusted political parties.
Respondents with an employment status of unemployed, in training or other had the highest levels of those who did not trust political parties (63.4%) when compared to retirees (38.8%) and those who were employed (55.3%).
Respondents had a mean trust score of 6.1 in the civil service (non-elected government employees at central or local levels of government). In 2021, 68% of respondents reported they trusted the civil service compared to 66% in the 2023 Trust survey.
Approximately seven in ten (68.7%) respondents with an advanced certificate, diploma, ordinary degree or higher trusted the civil service compared to approximately six in ten (57.5%) of those who did not complete their leaving certificate.
The mean trust score for the Gardaí was 6.4 compared to 6.7 in the 2021 Trust survey. Seven in ten respondents trusted the Gardaí (70%) and the courts and legal system (69%). In 2021, 75% of respondents reported trusting the Gardaí and 68% of respondents reported that they trusted the courts and legal system.
When trust scores in the Gardaí were examined by degree of urbanization similar levels of trust were found amongst respondents living in cities, towns, and rural areas (frequency of trust (6-10) was 75.8%, 72.4% and 74.9% respectively).
Around nine in ten respondents believe that a lost wallet or purse containing €100 and their identity details would be returned if it was found by the Gardaí.
Close to half of respondents (47%) reported they trusted (6-10) the news media. In the 2021 Trust survey, 42% of respondents reported they trusted the news media.
Respondents aged 18 to 29 had the highest level of those who trusted the news media (51.6%) compared to their older counterparts with 45.8% of respondents aged 50 years and over, and 45.6% of those aged 30 to 49 years reporting that they trusted the news media.
More than six in ten respondents trusted international organisations.
When comparing respondents’ levels of trust by region, those living in the Eastern and Midland region had the highest percentage of respondents who trusted international organisations (66.8%) whereas those living in the Northern and Western region had the lowest percentage of respondents who trusted international organisations (59.2%).
There were also differences in trust scores for international organisations between respondents depending on their level of education (see Table 3.8). Close to seven in ten (67.4%) respondents who had an advanced certificate, diploma, ordinary degree, or higher level of education trusted international organisations compared to five in ten respondents who had not completed their leaving certificate.
Respondents were asked would they describe themselves as being a member of a group that is discriminated against in Ireland. Differences in levels of trust were seen between respondents who self-identified as being part of a group that were discriminated against compared to those who did not. The largest percentage point differences were seen in the trust levels in national government (the Taoiseach and government ministers), the Oireachtas and the Gardaí. Three quarters of respondents who self-identified as not being part of a discriminated group reported trusting the Gardaí compared to just over half (54.3%) of those who identified as being part of a discriminated group.
Respondents were asked which three of the following items have the greatest impact on how much trust they have in national government:
Government officials abiding by the same rules as everybody else was the most frequently selected option as having the greatest impact on trust (62.5%) followed by government policies balancing the interest of current and future generations (57.8%). A higher frequency of women (56.3%) than men (46.7%) thought government engaging with citizens had the greatest impact on trust.
Differences were seen between age groups with a higher percentage (57.8%) of respondents aged 18 to 29 years selecting the government competently carries out tasks as having an impact on trust compared to those aged 50 years and over (37.8%). A higher percentage (55.1%) of respondents aged 18 to 29 years selected the government delivering on the promises it was elected on as having an impact on trust compared to those aged 50 and over (32%). Six in ten respondents aged 50 years and over selected the government engages with citizens as having an impact on trust compared to four in ten respondents aged 18 to 29 years.
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