Since 2020, trust in science has dropped across the world, with 72% of people reporting “some” or “a lot” of trust in 2025, according to a report from Wellcome Global Monitor.
In 2020, that figure was 80%. In 2018, it was 77%. At the same time, the share of people with little or no trust in science has grown, from 13% in 2018 and 2020 to 19% in 2025.
Wellcome Global Monitor surveyed more than 140,000 adults across more than 100 countries, according to a report published Oct. 10. Wellcome worked with Gallup and Ipsos. Here are three key findings:
1. Trust in science is lowest among people struggling financially. In 2025, 39% of people who reported living comfortably with their household income said they trusted science “a lot,” compared to 20% of those finding it difficult or very difficult. The findings also suggest “countries with greater economic inequality tend to have less trust in science.”
2. Fewer people say that science benefits most people. In 2018, 42% of respondents said “most people” in their country benefit from science. In 2025, that figure decreased to 35%.
3. Trust in scientists has fallen more than trust in other groups. The proportion of people reporting “a lot” of trust in scientists was 34% in 2018, 43% in 2020 and 32% in 2025. The most recent high trust scores are 39% for doctors and nurses, 28% for neighbors, 26% for the national government and 17% for journalists.
