Global public trust in science has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, with the decline especially pronounced among economically struggling groups.

A global monitoring survey released by the Wellcome Trust shows that in 2025, 72% of respondents worldwide said they trusted science at least to some extent, down from 80% in 2020 and 77% in 2018.

At the same time, the share of respondents expressing high trust in scientists fell from 43% in 2020 to 32%.

The survey covered more than 140,000 adults globally and reflects the complex relationship between public health policy disputes during the pandemic, economic circumstances, trust in medical institutions, and public confidence in science.

Global trust in science drops to 72%, with high trust in scientists at just 32%

The Wellcome Global Monitor shows that global public trust in science has continued to decline after reaching a relatively high level during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018, 77% of respondents worldwide said they trusted science at least to some extent; that share rose to 80% in 2020 but fell to 72% in 2025, 5 percentage points below the pre-pandemic level.

High trust in scientists followed a similar pattern. In 2018, 34% of respondents said they had high trust in scientists, a share that rose to 43% in 2020 and then fell to 32% in 2025.

Wellcome CEO John-Arne Røttingen said the politicized debates during the pandemic over vaccines, masks, and public health measures may be one reason for the decline in trust in science.

Even so, the survey found that scientists remain more trusted by the public than governments and journalists.

Trust declines most noticeably among economically struggling groups, widening the gap with wealthier groups

The survey found a clear link between economic circumstances and public trust in science, with people facing financial hardship especially likely to lose confidence in science.

Among respondents who said they had difficulty making ends meet, only 20% had high trust in science, compared with 39% among those who were financially comfortable, a gap of 19 percentage points.

From 2020 to 2025, the share of people with high trust in science fell by 16 percentage points among economically struggling groups and by 10 percentage points among financially comfortable groups.

This means that although trust in science declined across all income groups globally, the drop was larger among economically disadvantaged people, further widening the trust gap between groups in different economic circumstances.

Trust in medical institutions is closely tied to confidence in science, and attitudes toward vaccination are divided

The survey also found that public trust in medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics is clearly linked to confidence in science.

Among respondents with high trust in hospitals and clinics, 43% expressed high trust in science, well above the global comparison level of about 26%.

Attitudes toward vaccination also reflect divisions in public trust in medical science.

The survey showed that about 34% of respondents said they would accept a vaccine immediately if advised to do so; 48% preferred to consider it further before deciding; and another 15% said they would avoid vaccination entirely.

These results show wide differences in public acceptance of vaccines, with a considerable share of people preferring to make a decision after obtaining additional information or weighing the options.

Measles cases in the United States approach 3,900 as public health disputes continue

As trust in science declines, vaccination and preventable infectious diseases have again drawn attention.

The United States has reported nearly 3,900 measles cases this year, making it the country's worst measles outbreak in about 30 years.

At the same time, the survey shows clear political divisions in how the U.S. public evaluates the social benefits of science, with different groups' attitudes toward national leadership linked to their views on science.

The Wellcome survey was conducted with the participation of Gallup and Ipsos.

The findings reveal relationships between economic conditions, trust in medical institutions, political attitudes, and trust in science, but these statistical associations alone cannot directly determine the specific causes of the decline in trust.

Overall, global trust in science is not only below pre-pandemic levels, but the decline is mainly concentrated among economically struggling groups.

At a time when issues such as vaccination, public health policy, and artificial intelligence are drawing increasing attention, how to improve public trust in scientific institutions is becoming a major challenge for public health governance and science communication.