Public trust in science and researchers has declined since the coronavirus pandemic, according to the largest survey of public trust in science. Led by Wellcome, London’s global biomedical funding organization, and published on October 10, the report examines attitudes toward science and health, including vaccines, pandemic preparedness, clean energy and, for the first time, artificial intelligence.
Science in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: In 2025, 22% of participants in the country said they had “no confidence” in science. Credit: Thomas Imo/Photothek (via Getty)
Trust has fallen since 2020
“We need to pay attention and think about what we need to do to earn that trust,” says Philippa Michael, director of public initiatives at Wellcome, who led the project. It is Wellcome’s third survey of its kind, following studies conducted in 2018 and 2020.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a science-communication expert at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, says the analysis presents a “mixed” picture that varies by country and region.
Economic security is linked to confidence in science
The study also connects attitudes towards science with people’s wider experiences, including their perceptions of financial security.
“If people feel economically insecure, they’re going to distance themselves further from science and scientists,” says sociologist Gordon Gosha of Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This disconnect “is not about the effectiveness of science or its ability to solve problems,” he adds.
Countries where people reported high levels of trust in hospitals and clinics were “likely to have higher levels of trust in science,” Michael says. Confidence was also higher among respondents who felt able to access health services when they needed them.
“It’s so important that science is reliable, relevant and beneficial to people’s lives,” Michael adds.
Source: www.nature.com
