Back to Top

 Skip navigation

Background Notes

Background Notes

CSO statistical release, , 11am

Overview

Ireland was a participant country in the 2025 round of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Trust Survey. This was the third round of the Trust Survey with the previous rounds taking place in 2021 and 2023. The Trust Survey monitors people’s self-reported interpersonal trust and trust in different institutions and government across OECD countries. Ireland was one of 38 countries that participated in the 2025 round of the survey, which also included Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The survey was conducted in the latter half of 2025 – see Annex A of the OECD’s report for information on the specific dates for each participant country. The OECD published the intercountry results from this survey on 29 June 2025 – see the OECD website for more information. 

This work uses the OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions 2023 and 2025. The content of this release reflects solely the work and opinions of the CSO. Neither the OECD nor its member countries bear any responsibility for any interpretations, analyses or inferences based upon using the data.

For more details on the Irish Trust Survey 2025 see the Background Notes.

Data Analysis

Views on National Issues

The OECD Trust Survey questionnaire included the following question. Respondents could choose up to three response options.

What do you think are the three most important issues facing [COUNTRY]?

  • Rising Prices / Inflation / Cost of living
  • Unemployment and jobs
  • Climate change or other threats to the environment
  • Crime or violence
  • National security (for example war, terrorism)
  • Relations with other countries
  • The availability, quality or affordability of essential services (healthcare, education etc.)
  • The availability, quality or affordability of housing
  • Corruption
  • Immigration
  • Poverty and social inequality
  • Dangers of social media
  • Spread of misinformation / fake news
  • Something else [Please specify]
  • None of the above
  • Prefer not to answer

 NUTS2 Regions

The regional classifications in this release are based on the NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units) classification used by Eurostat. The NUTS boundaries were amended on 21st November 2016 under Regulation (EC) No. 2066 / 2016 and took effect from 1st January 2018. Results are presented at NUTS 2 level. See Information Note for Data Users: revision to the Irish NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 Regions.

Northern and Western NUTS2 Region Southern NUTS2 Region Eastern and Midland NUTS2 Region
Border Cavan
Donegal
Leitrim
Monaghan
Sligo
Mid-West Clare
Limerick
Tipperary
Dublin Dublin City
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Fingal
South Dublin
West Galway
Mayo
Roscommon
South-East Carlow
Kilkenny
Waterford
Wexford
Mid-East Kildare
Louth
Meath
Wicklow
    South-West Cork Kerry Midland Laois
Longford
Offaly
Westmeath

 

Work Situation

Respondent were asked the question, which of the following categories best describes your current situation?

Answer options were:

  • Employed
  • Unemployed
  • Retired
  • Unable to work due to long-standing health problems
  • Student, pupil
  • Fulfilling domestic tasks
  • Other

The results from this variable were combined to create a classification of work situation as follows:

  • Employed
  • Retired
  • Unemployed, in training or other

Gender and Age Groups

Results were also broken down by gender and age groups in accordance with the OECD groupings.

Note on tables

Data in PxStat has been rounded to 0 decimal places. The sum of row or column percentages in the tables / figures in this report may not add up to 100 due to rounding. 

Acknowledgement

The Central Statistics Office wishes to thank the participants for their co-operation in agreeing to take part in the Trust Survey and for facilitating the collection of the relevant data.