Doctors top global trust rankings as politicians, influencers come last

By Sola Ogundipe

Medical doctors, scientists and teachers are the most trusted professions globally, while politicians and social media influencers rank among the least trusted, according to a survey of 23,530 online adults under 75 across 32 countries.

The survey, known as the Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index 2026, conducted by Ipsos, an international market research and public opinion polling company, showed that doctors lead the rankings, with 58 percent of respondents expressing trust in them, followed by scientists at 56 percent and teachers at 54 percent.

Restaurant serving staff ranked fourth at 44 percent, followed by the armed forces at 43 percent. Police officers, judges and ordinary men and women each recorded 38 percent, while lawyers received 31 percent.

Television news anchors recorded 30 percent, while pollsters and clergy or priests each scored 29 percent. Taxi drivers and civil servants followed at 28 percent. Journalists and bankers each recorded 27 percent, while business leaders scored 26 percent.

At the lower end, government ministers recorded 20 per cent, followed by advertising executives at 19 per cent. Social media influencers and politicians generally ranked last, with 15 per cent each.

The percentages represent the share of respondents expressing trust in each profession or group, not those selecting it as their single most trusted occupation. The precise survey question and response options should be verified against the original Ipsos report.

The findings highlight a marked contrast between trust in health and scientific professionals and confidence in political figures and social surveys.