Governments across OECD countries face high demands to deliver better policies for better lives in a complex environment. Demographic change, economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological developments are all reshaping the policy landscape while fiscal constraints, slow internal processes, and the difficulty of building public and political consensus can limit how quickly institutions can respond. This moment in time also brings significant opportunities: many governments recognise that “business as usual” is no longer sufficient, and the ongoing digital transformation of the public sector, including the emergence of technological advances can help deliver services and policies that better meet people’s needs.
Navigating this landscape successfully depends to a significant extent on public trust. When people believe public institutions are reliable, responsive, and guided by values such as openness and fairness, governments can draw on a stock of confidence that supports reform and reduces uncertainty. The OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions (OECD Trust Survey) provides timely evidence on how trust is formed and sustained across 33 OECD countries and 5 OECD accession candidate countries, and how perceptions have evolved over the past four years.
Join us online for the launch of this report, where the OECD will share key findings from the third wave of the Trust Survey. A high-level panel will discuss what these results mean for strengthening trust in public institutions and improving public governance processes and outcomes.
