The trust gap

Despite an increase in trust in the Australian Government over recent years, significant disparities persist and have even widened in some cases, says a report.

The finding features in a document released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which – based on a survey conducted across 30 OECD countries between 2021 and 2023 – analyses trust in Australian public institutions.

The most notable trust gap exists between those who feel they have a say in government decisions and those who feel disenfranchised.

At 52 percentage-points, the trust gap – between those who perceive that they have political agency and those who do not – is one of the largest in the OECD, and exceeds the 47 percentage-point OECD average.

There are only six other OECD countries – Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany and New Zealand – with equal or larger trust gaps.

As the report’s authors note: “Trust levels are consistently lower among several socio-economic and demographic groups, including those experiencing financial stress, individuals with lower education levels, people who identify as belonging to discriminated-against groups, and women.”

While some trust gaps increased in Australia between 2021 and 2023, almost all population groups became more trusting in the federal government over the period. The gender, financial concerns and political agency gaps rose – in some cases drastically – but the age trust gap, for example, fell.

Indeed, in 2021, the share of 18-29-year-olds who had high or moderately high trust in the Australian Government was nine percentage points lower than among people aged 50 and above. “In 2023, this gap had completely disappeared,” says the report.

The trust gap – between those who perceive they have political agency and those who do not – is one of the largest in the OECD

Elsewhere, the OECD report finds people who are more confident that government institutions are acting in the best interest of society are 7.4 percentage points more likely to have high or moderately high trust in the federal government.

“The belief that institutions are responsive to feedback and to evidence also has a positive relationship with trust,” says the report. A perceived higher likelihood that the government would adopt innovative ideas if they can improve public service is associated with a 6.4 percentage points higher likelihood of trusting the government. Confidence that government takes decisions based on the best available evidence is also associated with a similar increase in trust – 6.2 percentage points.

Honing in on local government, the single most important trust driver is the perceived likelihood that citizens have an opportunity to participate in decisions that affect their communities.

The report also finds that the level of people’s trust in the Australian Public Service depends on whether or not they believe the APS is looking out for the long-term interest of society.

Overall, trust in government in Australia has remained relatively stable over time, concludes the report, regularly placing the country in the mid-range among OECD countries. “Australian democratic institutions and values are known for their innovative and adaptive approaches, which make them strong when assessed overall and when compared to other countries.”

However, challenges persist. “Economic disparities and polarisation have emerged as potential threats to interpersonal trust and the social fabric.”