Scholars disprove existence of ‘crisis of trust’ in science

An international team of researchers, including specialists from HSE University, has conducted a large-scale survey in 68 countries on the subject of trust in science. In most countries, people continue to highly value the work of scientists and want to see them take a more active role in public life. The results have been published in Nature Human Behaviour.

Research by Arthur Lupia and David Allison had previously indicated that trust in science and scientists has been declining over the past five years, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating this crisis. To study the issue in more detail, the international multidisciplinary consortium TISP (Trust in Science and Science-Related Populism) conducted a survey to provide reliable data on attitudes toward science.

More than 71,000 people answered questions about trust in scientists, rating their competence, honesty, and concern for the common good. The survey design also accounted for characteristics such as respondents’ education, income, and political views.

The study included 68 countries, including those in the Global South, which are often overlooked in similar research. This approach made it possible to identify not only global trends in attitudes toward science but also regional differences.

According to the survey, 78% of respondents worldwide consider scientists competent, 57% see them as honest, and 56% believe they care about people’s well-being. Respondents also emphasised the importance of prioritising research aimed at improving public health, addressing energy issues, reducing poverty, and combating climate change.

Many participants expressed a desire to see scientists involved in decision-making processes: 83% supported open science, and 52% endorsed researchers' participation in shaping public policy. However, less than half (42%) were confident that scientists consider public opinion in their work.

The study shows that the authority of science remains high in most countries, though the degree of trust varies across nations and social groups. In places where people relied more on scientific data, crises such as the pandemic were managed more smoothly, with citizens more likely to follow vaccination and safety recommendations. Tackling mistrust in scientific findings is crucial, as societies with higher trust in scientists tend to handle medical and climate challenges more effectively.

Researchers identified several key factors contributing to the erosion of trust in science: misinformation, conspiracy theories, the reproducibility crisis in scientific research, and science-related populism, which pits popular opinion against expert knowledge. These issues were particularly evident during the pandemic, when some influencers promoted folk remedies over vaccination.

Albina Gallyamova

‘Our results show that most people in most countries display a relatively high level of trust in scientists and want them to play an active role in society and politics,’ says Albina Gallyamova, Junior Research Fellow at the HSE Centre for Sociocultural Research. ‘One reason for the decline in trust is the insufficient engagement of scientists in public education. It is clear that overcoming current challenges requires actively and effectively communicating research findings to the public.’

To present the findings visually, the scientists developed an interactive dashboard where users can compare levels of trust in science across different countries and explore the links between trust and factors such as income, education, and political beliefs. The dashboard also highlights which areas (healthcare, energy, defence technologies) people would like to see prioritised in research and how these expectations align with actual scientific projects.