Trust in science has slipped below its pre-pandemic level, according to the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026, the largest study of public attitudes to science, published on 10 October. Overall, 72 percent of people said they trusted science 'some' or 'a lot', down from 80 percent in 2020 and 77 percent in 2018. The share who trust science 'not much' or 'not at all' rose from 13 percent to 19 percent.

Scientists remain among the most trusted groups in society — behind doctors and nurses, ahead of journalists and national governments — but their standing has proved the least stable. The proportion who trust scientists 'a lot' climbed from 34 percent in 2018 to 43 percent in 2020, then fell to 32 percent in 2025, the largest decline recorded for any group in the survey.

The survey, based on more than 140,000 respondents in 140 countries, found trust closely tied to people's circumstances and to how well they feel the institutions around them work. Those who find it hard to get by on their current income are roughly half as likely to trust science 'a lot' as those living comfortably — 20 percent versus 39 percent. The gap between the two groups has widened from 13 to 19 percentage points since 2018.

Countries with higher economic inequality tended to record lower trust in science, and people reporting less confidence in government and higher perceptions of corruption were less likely to trust it. The results suggest the post-Covid credibility bump for science has not merely faded but reversed, with the deepest losses among people who feel the systems around them are failing.

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