This chapter analyses how people perceive and evaluate their day-to-day interactions with public institutions. It first presents levels of satisfaction with public services, including education, health, and administrative services. It further explores how satisfaction with various aspects of service quality is related to overall satisfaction with administrative services. The chapter also sheds light on how people perceive the civil service’s fairness and integrity in their day-to-day interactions with the public. Finally, it discusses people’s perceptions of local governments’ and civil servants' responsiveness to public feedback.
OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 Results
Abstract
Key findings
Satisfaction with essential public services has room to improve. Only 50% of recent reported users in LAC are satisfied with the education system, and 40% with the healthcare system — both significantly lower than the average of OECD countries.
Administrative services perform better. More than one in two recent administrative service users report being satisfied. People who are satisfied with these services are more likely to place trust in public institutions at all levels, including the national government, but particularly in local government and the civil service.
Concerns about fairness and integrity in day-to-day interactions persist. Only 36% believe their applications for government benefits would be treated fairly, and 31% find it likely that officials would refuse bribes. Positive perceptions of fair treatment of applications for government benefits are associated with higher trust across institutions.
Perceptions of responsiveness in day-to-day interactions in LAC are relatively positive. 43% of respondents in LAC believe services would improve after complaints, suggesting a foundation for strengthening trust. Among people who believe services improve following their feedback, levels of trust in local government and the civil service also tend to be higher.
Digital transformation is advancing, but trust in the government’s use of personal data is low. In the region, 38% of respondents trust that their personal data would be used only for legitimate purposes, compared to 52% in OECD countries, and this matters for trust.
The relationship between perceptions of day-to-day interactions and trust are similar across LAC and the OECD. These perceptions are less positive in LAC compared to the OECD average (with the exception of responsiveness). This affects trust in local government and the civil service in particular, but satisfaction with administrative services nevertheless is a more important driver of trust in the national government in the region compared to the OECD.
How can public institutions improve and foster trust?
Enhance access and satisfaction with public services. Adressing quality and coverage gaps of essential public services, such as healthcare and education, could contribute to higher satisfaction in these areas.
Improve both the availability and clarity of information about services, as well as service speed, for increased satisfaction with administrative services. This satisfaction is correlated with higher trust across all governance levels, with particularly strong associations for trust in local government and civil service.
Address public concerns surrounding fairness and integrity of public employees. To address these issues, governments could increase representation and diversity within the public sector whilst providing comprehensive training to counter biases and enable recourse for users if discrimination occurs. Governments can also implement robust public integrity frameworks and transparently communicate these initiatives through clearly displayed charters, visible online guidelines, and other accessible channels. Improving these perceptions could significantly enhance trust levels, particularly regarding fair treatment of benefit applications.
Further improve perceptions of responsiveness in day-to-day interactions with the public sector. Improving how governments respond to complaints could support trust levels, with positive associations with trust in local government and the civil service. To enhance responsiveness, governments in the region could track service performance metrics and increase efforts in effective feedback loops that directly connect citizen input to decision making processes, ensuring visible service improvements based on public suggestions.
Prioritise robust and transparent data governance frameworks and efforts to reduce the digital divide. Digital transformation initiatives across LAC governments aim to enhance service delivery and foster innovation, yet significant challenges remain. To address this trust deficit, governments could prioritise robust data governance frameworks and greater transparency in how personal information is collected, stored, and utilised. Successful digital transformation requires maintaining accessible traditional service channels alongside digital options to ensure vulnerable populations are not further marginalised.
Daily interactions between people and public institutions are foundational to trust in government. When people engage with government services—from healthcare and education to administrative procedures—these touchpoints shape their perceptions of institutional competence and values. The quality of these exchanges can strengthen or undermine the relationship between people and their governments.
This chapter examines how day-to-day interactions with public institutions are perceived by the population across the ten countries covered by the OECD Trust Survey in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and how these perceptions influence institutional trust across the region. Key findings reveal mixed performance across service areas. Satisfaction with the education and healthcare systems and with administrative services in LAC are lower than across the OECD, with administrative services consistently seen more positively. Worrisome gaps emerge in perceptions of fairness and integrity, while as a point of strengths, people living in LAC countries tend to be more optimistic about government responsiveness than their counterparts in OECD countries.
The chapter further highlights significant opportunities to enhance institutional trust through improved day-to-day interactions between public institutions and the populations they serve. Regression analysis shows that satisfaction with administrative services is strongly associated with trust across all governance levels including the national government, but with particularly robust results for local government and the civil service. Specific aspects of these interactions, including fair treatment of applications for government benefits, emerge as powerful trust drivers. Similarly, when people perceive that their feedback leads to service improvements and that their personal data are handled responsibly, they are significantly more likely to place trust in institutions, in particular the local government and civil service. These results suggest that targeted reforms to enhance transparency, fairness, and responsiveness in everyday government interactions can serve as effective levers for rebuilding institutional trust throughout the region.
Public services in Latin America seem to be falling short of people’s expectations. Currently, 50% of recent users of education and 40% of recent users of healthcare services are satisfied with how these systems work in their country. Given these moderate results, which fall below the respective OECD averages, it is perhaps not surprising that 84% of respondents across the six non-OECD countries surveyed in the region consider improving healthcare and education to be a key priority, which is the largest share of responses when asked about whether a given policy area should be prioritised in their country.1 Further, concerns over essential services emerge as the sixth most frequently cited issue facing their country (by 17% of adults in the region), below security and economic concerns (such as crime, poverty, unemployment, or inflation), but ahead of immigration, environmental concerns or housing (see Figure 1.1 in Chapter 1). These findings underscore the importance of continuous improvement in public service delivery in the LAC region.
3.1.1. Half of recent users express satisfaction with the education system in the LAC region
According to data from the OECD Trust Survey in LAC, half of those enrolled in an educational institution in the region over the past two years—or who had a family member enrolled— are satisfied with the education system (Figure 3.1). This share is seven percentage points below the OECD average of 57%. Satisfaction levels vary significantly across LAC countries, ranging from a low of 33% in Peru to highs of 64% in Mexico and Costa Rica.
Share of population with recent reported experience with the education system reporting different levels of satisfaction with their country’s education system, 2023 or 2025
Note: The figure presents the within-country distributions of responses to the question “On a scale of 0 to 10, how satisfied are you with the education system in [COUNTRY]?”. Respondents with recent reported experience are those who reply in the affirmative to the question “In the last 2 years, have you or somebody in your household been enrolled in an educational institution in [COUNTRY]?”. The “satisfied” proportion is the aggregation of responses from 6-10 on the scale; “neutral” is equal to a response of 5; “dissatisfied” is the aggregation of responses from 0-4; and “do not know” was a separate answer choice. “OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
Beyond OECD Trust Survey data, Gallup World Data2 reported in the Latin American edition of Government at Glance suggest that satisfaction with the educational system across LAC countries between 2011 and 2022 was rather stable on average, but not in individual countries (OECD, 2024[1]). Brazil and Chile showed significant improvements, with increases of nine and seven percentage points over the decade, respectively, bringing their satisfaction rates to 64% and 51%. Other countries with more moderate positive trends include Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Conversely, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Colombia saw declining satisfaction levels, with Ecuador experiencing the largest drop from 75% to 64%. Different survey timing as well as different question wording likely both contribute to differences in reported satisfaction rates between the Gallup World Poll and the OECD Trust Survey.
Despite the fact that LAC countries invest significantly in their education systems, allocating 4.3% of their GDP to education in 2021 – a figure reasonably close to the average share allocated by OECD countries (4.9% in 2023 (OECD, 2025[2]) (UNESCO, 2024[3]; OECD et al., 2024[4]) ‑ educational outcomes remain poor and unequal across the region. The overall budget is spread out over a comparatively larger student population, meaning that between 2000 and 2018, investment per student in the region3 averaged 13.4% of per capita GDP, compared to 21.3% on average across OECD countries. Heterogeneity between countries in this area is great, ranging from 7.2% of per capita GDP in Guatemala to 21.1% in Costa Rica (OECD et al., 2024[4]; World Bank, 2023[5]). Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Latin American and Caribbean children faced relatively long school closures (IADB, 2023[6]). In this context, the region consistently ranks at the lower end of global performance in math, reading, and science, when 15-years-olds’ abilities are assessed by the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students in LAC scored an average of 378 points in mathematics, lagging 94 points behind the OECD average4. Moreover, only a minority of LAC students (25%) achieve basic math proficiency (compared to 69% in OECD countries), and top performers are exceedingly rare even in the best-performing countries (Inter American Development Bank; World Bank, 2024[7]).
The comparison between educational outcomes and per capita GDP spending on students shows that higher spending is often associated with better outcomes, but that even within the same spending levels, outcomes can diverge considerably (Figure 3.2). Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Costa Rica have historically spent more per student (as a percentage of GDP per capita) and most of them achieved above-average PISA scores in mathematics compared to the LAC9.5 Conversely, Peru demonstrates high cost-effectiveness by achieving better-than-expected results given spending levels. Other factors significantly impact outcomes, including teaching quality, curriculum effectiveness, resource distribution between rural and urban areas, teacher training, and socioeconomic conditions of both educators and students. Therefore, improving educational outcomes in the region requires not only increased funding but also smart resource allocation (OECD, 2024[1]; OECD et al., 2024[4]).
Government spending on education per student, 2000-18 and PISA maths scores, 2022
Note: The figure shows the correlation between the two dimensions and should not be taken as a causal effect. The PISA scores correspond to maths performance for each region and country. The average government expenditure on education per student is a simple average of the available data for each country between 2001 and 2018 for primary and secondary levels of education. The total averages for OECD and LAC correspond to simple averages. ”LAC” covers Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru. Data for Ecuador are not available.
Source: adapted from (OECD et al., 2024[4])
Satisfaction with the healthcare system in LAC falls significantly below the OECD average
In a context where 24% of households report having been recently affected by serious illness, satisfaction with healthcare in LAC is significantly lower than that with other essential services. Only 40% of recent users are satisfied with their country’s healthcare system (Figure 3.3), compared to 52% across OECD countries. Only Costa Rica (56%) and Mexico (53%) exceed average OECD satisfaction levels. In both Paraguay and Peru, only about a quarter of recent users of healthcare services report being satisfied.
Share of population with recent experience with the healthcare system reporting different levels of satisfaction with the healthcare system in their country, 2023 or 2025
Note: The figure presents the within-country distributions of responses to the question “On a scale of 0 to 10, how satisfied are you with the healthcare system in [COUNTRY]?”. Respondents with recent experience are those who reply in the affirmative to the question “In the last 12 months, have you or somebody in your household personally made use of the healthcare system in [COUNTRY]?””. The “satisfied” proportion is the aggregation of responses from 6-10 on the scale; “neutral” is equal to a response of 5; “dissatisfied” is the aggregation of responses from 0-4; and “do not know” was a separate answer choice. “OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
Analysis of the Gallup World Poll data over time reveals contrasting trends in healthcare satisfaction across LAC countries from 2011 to 20226 (OECD, 2024[1]). Costa Rica maintained the highest satisfaction rate, rising from 63% to 70%. Brazil showed the most significant positive change, increasing from 36% to 45%. However, several countries saw notable declines: satisfaction dropped from 63% to 53% in Paraguay, from 49% to 41% in Colombia, and most dramatically from 56% to 37% in Ecuador. Overall, the LAC average for the ten countries under analysis stayed stable at 50-51% and well below the OECD average (OECD, 2024[1]). As for satisfaction with the healthcare systems, different question phrasing and survey timing can explain differences to OECD Trust Survey results.
Examining health outcomes provides important context for understanding perceptions of healthcare systems in the region. Key health metrics have improved significantly in the region since 2000, but nonetheless exhibit persistent gaps compared to OECD benchmarks (OECD/The World Bank, 2023[8]). While average life expectancy reached 76.7 years in 2021 (up from 72.2 years in 2000), it remains below the OECD average of 80.4 years. Significant disparities exist between countries, with Chile (81 years) and Costa Rica (80.8 years) achieving life expectancies above the OECD average, while countries like the Dominican Republic (74.3 years) and Paraguay (74.4 years) lag behind. Similarly, infant mortality has improved from 25.1 to 14.1 per 1 000 live births between 2000 and 2020 but remains substantially higher than the OECD average of 4.1. Vaccination coverage also varies, with only Chile and Costa Rica meeting recommended DTP immunisation levels (over 90%).
Notably, better health outcomes do not necessarily correlate with higher satisfaction levels. This is exemplified by Chile, which does not enjoy the highest levels of satisfaction despite having some of the best health indicators. This disconnect suggests that people expectations and other aspects of healthcare delivery beyond clinical outcomes - perhaps accessibility, affordability or quality of patient experience (OECD, 2023[9]) - may significantly influence overall satisfaction with health systems (OECD, 2024[10]).
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted structural weaknesses and significantly impacted healthcare systems across LAC countries. In fact, the mortality outcomes of the pandemic were more severe in LAC than in other global regions, which likely affected levels of satisfaction across countries (OECD/The World Bank, 2023[8]). Likewise, healthcare systems face significant resource constraints compared to other regions (OECD/The World Bank, 2023[8]). In 2019, per capita health spending in LAC was less than a third of the OECD average (USD PPP 1 206 versus 3 999), with stark regional disparities ranging from USD PPP 529 in Guatemala to USD PPP 2 297 in Chile (Figure 3.4). As such, healthcare systems in these countries remain under-resourced, and workforce shortage likely contributed to bottlenecks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven out of the ten LAC countries under analysis in this report experienced excess deaths above the OECD average during 2020-2021, with only Chile, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic faring better. This underscores how healthcare system resilience, defined as the ability to prepare for shocks, absorb disruptions, recover quickly, and adapt through learning, varied significantly across the region and directly influenced outcomes.
Moreover, LAC healthcare financing relies excessively on private spending, with 42% of health expenditure coming from out-of-pocket payments and voluntary schemes, compared to just 24% in OECD countries (Figure 3.4). This high level of out-of-pocket spending puts individuals and households at risk of financial hardship when seeking medical care and puts care out of reach for some populations (OECD/The World Bank, 2023[8]).
Total expenditure on health per capita, public and private, international dollars (USD PPP), 2019 or latest year
Source: Adapted from (OECD/The World Bank, 2023[8]). WHO Global Health Expenditure Database 2020; OECD Health Statistics 2019 for Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico.
3.1.2. Satisfaction with services varies across groups
All governments face challenges in addressing unequal satisfaction and outcomes across public services. In LAC, as in many other regions, promoting access to healthcare and high-quality education for all remains a goal unfulfilled. Difficulties in LAC stem not only from operational barriers to service delivery, but also from structural issues such as widespread employment informality and historical segmentation of healthcare, where access to services is tied to formal employment status. Low income levels and geographic spread create multiple operational challenges, including higher service delivery costs, limited economies of scale, and shortages of qualified human resources (Bland et al., 2021[11]). In sectors like healthcare and education, the complex intergovernmental and public/private co-ordination can create additional barriers to implementing effective reforms, as authority is distributed across multiple government levels.
Three groups consistently report lower satisfaction with health and education in LAC countries: individuals reporting financial concerns, people who identify as part of discriminated groups, and those worried about crime (Figure 3.5). Reported financial insecurity creates the most pronounced satisfaction gaps, with economically vulnerable populations expressing markedly lower satisfaction levels than those without those concerns. Unlike the OECD-wide findings, age is also a significant factor in education satisfaction in LAC countries, with younger respondents expressing slightly higher levels of satisfaction. Regarding healthcare systems, respondents who identify themselves as part of a discriminated-against group show the lowest levels of satisfaction among any of the identified population groups. These satisfaction gaps may reflect underlying inequalities in service accessibility, quality, and timeliness among different population segments (OECD, 2023[12]).
Note: The figure presents the unweighted averages across OECD/LAC countries of responses to the questions “On a scale of 0 to 10, how satisfied are you with the education/healthcare system in [COUNTRY]?” by respondents’ feelings of personal security, socio-economic background and demographic characteristics. Shown here is the proportion that are “satisfied” based on the aggregation of responses from 6-10 on the 0-10 response scale, grouped by respondents’ feeling of personal security (worry about becoming a victim of a violent crime), socio-economic background (identification as belonging to a group that is discriminated against in the country, financial concerns, education) and demographic characteristics (gender, age). Personal security concerns are measured by asking “How often, if at all, do you worry about becoming a victim of violent crime?” and aggregating responses 1 (always), 2 (frequently), and 3 (occasionally) to being worried about becoming a victim of crime. People’s identification of a discriminated group is measured by responses ‘’Yes’’ to the question “Would you describe yourself as being a member of a group that is discriminated against in [Country]?”. Financial concerns are measured by asking ‘’In general, thinking about the next year or two, how concerned are you about your household's finances and overall social and economic well-being?’’ and aggregating responses 3 (somewhat concerned) and 4 (very concerned). The satisfaction rates are indicated only for respondents with recent experience with the respective system, who reply in the affirmative to the question “In the last 2 years/12 months, have you or somebody in your household been enrolled in an educational institution/ personally made use of the healthcare system in [COUNTRY]?”. “OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries. The question of whether respondents worry about becoming a victim of crime was not asked during the OECD Trust Survey in 2023, except in Chile. Therefore, the average for this question is based only on responses from Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, and Paraguay.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
These satisfaction disparities align with broader patterns of education inequity in the region (Fernández et al., 2025[13]). 2022 OECD PISA Data7 show socio-economic disparities significantly impact student outcomes: poorer students are more likely to underperform, though underperformance remains an issue across economic levels. The region also exhibits strong social segregation in schools (Inter American Development Bank; World Bank, 2024[7]).
Health inequalities across socio-economic lines also persist throughout LAC (OECD/The World Bank, 2023[14]). For instance, in the Dominican Republic, mortality rates among infants and under-five year olds are at 40 for the poorest quintile compared to 22 for the richest. Education levels also play a crucial role, with Peru specifically showing mortality rates approximately three times higher for under-five year olds whose parents completed only primary education versus secondary education. Geographic disparities further compound these inequalities.
To improve healthcare accessibility and coverage for all population segments, governments need to invest in preventative and primary care across geographies and groups and establish robust protection mechanisms that shield households from large out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures that can lead to further impoverishment (WHO, 2018[15]). In LAC countries in the late 2010s, an average of 14% of the population either first became at risk of poverty or fell further below the poverty line because of OOP healthcare expenditure (OECD/The World Bank, 2023[14]).8
Administrative services, and the civil servants responsible for them, represent a critical touchpoint between people and public institutions and can serve as a valuable lever for building institutional trust. A majority in the region (55%) are satisfied with administrative services, such as applying for an ID, registering a birth or applying for benefits. However, perceptions of fairness and integrity of public servants show concerning trends: only 36% of people believe their applications for government benefits would be treated fairly, 38% think public employees treat everyone equally, and just 31% believe officials would refuse bribes. These findings highlight significant trust deficits, particularly among the self-reported economically insecure, people who feel they belong to a group which is discriminated against, and those concerned about crime.
Regression results outlined in Annex A indicate that satisfaction with administrative services is significantly associated with higher levels of trust across governance levels. The association is particularly strong for local government (4.3 percentage points higher probability that a respondent will have high or moderately high trust in the local government) and the civil service (4.1 percentage points), but it is also positively related to trust in the national legislature (3.3 percentage points) and the national government (2.3 percentage points). Several specific aspects of these interactions prove especially influential: fair treatment of benefit applications (2.3, 1.7 and 1.5 percentage points for local government, civil service and national government, respectively), and equitable treatment of everyone (1.9 percentage points for local government). These findings underscore how everyday administrative experiences when characterised by transparency and fairness, can substantially bolster people's confidence in public institutions throughout the region.
3.2.1. Just over half of Latin Americans are satisfied with administrative services
55% of respondents who have recently used an administrative service are satisfied, though satisfaction levels vary considerably across the region (Figure 3.6). Mexico and Costa Rica lead with the highest satisfaction rates (67% and 66% respectively), while the Dominican Republic (61%), Colombia (60%), and Guatemala (58%) also maintain strong positive ratings. In contrast, Peru reports the lowest satisfaction at just 39%, with Ecuador (45%) and Paraguay (46%) also falling below the regional average. Notably, the overall LAC average (55%) remains lower than the OECD average (66%), indicating substantial room for improvement in administrative service quality throughout the region.
Share of recent users reporting different levels of satisfaction with administrative services in their country, 2023 or 2025
Note: The figure presents the within-country distributions of responses among recent users to the question “On a scale of 0 to 10, how satisfied are you with the quality of administrative services in [COUNTRY] (for example applying for an ID, registering a birth or applying for benefits)?” Recent users replied in the affirmative to the question “In the last 12 months, have you personally made use of an administrative in [COUNTRY] (for example, applying for a passport, registering a birth, or applying for benefits etc.)?”. The “satisfaction” proportion is the aggregation of responses from 6-10 on the scale; “neutral” is equal to a response of 5; “dissatisfaction” is the aggregation of responses from 0-4; and “Do not know” was a separate answer choice. OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
People in LAC demonstrate varying levels of user satisfaction with different features of their most recent experience with an administrative service, with overall rates averaging around 60% across most dimensions. The only instances where shares fall below a majority of the population are for the evaluation of the speed of obtaining services in Peru (46%) and Paraguay (47%), and of public officials’ courtesy in Peru (49%).Figure 3.7 The strongest performing aspects include "Clarity of language and information" and "Degree to which the service met needs" (both at 63%), suggesting these are relative strengths in the region's administrative services.
"Speed of obtaining the service" appears to be a challenge, with only 56% satisfied and 31% dissatisfied. The most pronounced gaps between LAC and OECD satisfaction levels appear in the human elements of service delivery—specifically "Courtesy of employees" (60% in LAC vs. 73% in OECD) and "Competence of public employees" (60% in LAC vs. 71% in OECD)—suggesting these human factors represent key areas where administrative services could focus efforts to close the performance gap with OECD standards.
A majority of LAC public service users are satisfied with different features of their most recently obtained administrative service, and according to regression analysis, improvements in the satisfaction with the clarity of language and speed of obtaining services could correspond with higher overall satisfaction (Figure 3.7). These two factors represent the most impactful levers for increasing satisfaction with overall service quality: individuals satisfied with the clarity of language and speed of service are significantly more likely (8.8 and 7.8 percentage points, respectively) to rate their overall experience positively compared to those dissatisfied with these aspects and who otherwise have similar backgrounds.
Percentage point change in likelihood of being satisfied with administrative services following an increase in satisfaction with any of the service aspects (left Y-axis, represented by bar) and share of users satisfied with service aspect (right Y-axis, represented by dots), OECD average 2023 and LAC average 2023/2025
How to read: For example, on average across the OECD, 64% are satisfied with the speed of obtaining the service, and being satisfied with this aspect is associated with a 13-percentage point increase in the likelihood of being satisfied with administrative services. Similar, on average across LAC, 60% are satisfied with the clarity of language and information of the administrative service, and this is associated with a 9-percentage point increase in the likelihood of being satisfied with administrative services.
Note: On the right Y-axis and represented by dots, the figure presents the OECD unweighted average of the share who indicated satisfaction with the respective aspect when answering the question: “Thinking about the most recent administrative service that you personally made use of, how satisfied were you with each of the following? Please give your answer on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means you are not at all satisfied, and 10 means you are completely satisfied”. The satisfied proportion is the aggregation of responses from 6-10 on the scale. ‘Do not know’ and ‘not applicable’ were separate answer options. The percentage point change in satisfaction with administrative services, on the Y-left axis represented by bars, corresponds to the average marginal effect of a being satisfied as compared to not being satisfied with any of the eight service aspects, when all the other service aspects, age, gender, and education levels are kept constant. The average marginal effects indicated in dark blue are statistically significant at p<0.10; while the average marginal effects indicated in light blue are not statistically significant at p>=0.10.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
Countries in LAC, and indeed around the world, face challenges in improving people’s satisfaction with administrative services. In 2024, the OECD Council adopted the Recommendation on Human-Centred Public Administrative Services, which provides a comprehensive framework for governments to design and deliver services that directly address people's needs, helping to reduce gaps in service quality and accessibility (Box 3.1). Chile’s User Satisfaction Measurement (Medición de Satisfacción Usuaria, MESU), one of the largest citizen and user feedback surveys operated by an OECD member country government, offers a useful example to strengthen services, providing key detailed evidence that public agencies use to develop specific improvement plans (OECD, 2024[10]).
The Recommendation on Human-Centred Public Administrative Services was adopted by the OECD Council in September 2024. It offers a clear, common framework for designing and delivering government services that are tailored to people's needs and support them through major life events and challenges. It outlines practices for governments to design and deliver human-centred public administrative services through:
Strategic vision, values and rights
Foster and promote a strategic vision and approach to strengthen the design and delivery of services, based on the values and culture of a human-centred approach.
Uphold the protection of both the public interest, and the rights and legitimate interests of users through the design and delivery of services that offer procedural guarantees and administrative and judicial review.
Core foundations
Clearly define roles and responsibilities for enabling human-centred service design and delivery.
Equip public servants with the skills and competencies and working environment to design and deliver human-centred services
Ensure the availability of reliable and inclusive digital public infrastructure that supports human-centred service design and delivery.
Seamless and accessible services
Develop simple and intuitive processes that are accessible, inclusive, and coherent across channels (phone, online, in-person), to facilitate a smooth user journey.
Adopt collaborative, inclusive, and innovative approaches in the design and delivery of services.
Measurement, engagement, and improvement
Measure and report on user experiences with, and perceptions of, service design and delivery, and use this information to identify ways to improve satisfaction with public service
3.2.2. Many are sceptical of the fairness and integrity of public employees, reflecting a strained relationship with the civil service
People should enjoy equal access, and fair and impartial treatment from public officials and employees, regardless of their background. Yet satisfaction with administrative services among recent users in LAC countries is uneven (Figure 3.8), and human elements of service delivery are perceived less positively than other components of administrative services. As with health and education services, three groups consistently report lower satisfaction: individuals with financial concerns, people who identify as belonging to a group which is discriminated against, and those worried about crime.
Share of respective group with recent experience with administrative services reporting being satisfied administrative services, OECD (2023) and LAC (2023 or 2025)
Note: : The figure presents the unweighted averages across OECD/LAC countries of responses to the question “On a scale of 0 to 10, how satisfied are you with the quality of administrative services in [COUNTRY] (for example applying for an ID, registering a birth or applying for benefits)?” by respondents’ feelings of personal security, socio-economic background and demographic characteristics. Shown here is the proportion that are “satisfied” based on the aggregation of responses from 6-10 on the 0-10 response scale, grouped by respondents’ feeling of personal security (worry about becoming the victim of a violent crime), socio-economic background (identification as belonging to a group that is discriminated against in the country, financial concerns, education) and demographic characteristics (gender, age). Personal security concerns are measured by asking “How often, if at all, do you worry about becoming a victim of a violent crime in [Country]“ and aggregating the responses 1 “Always”, 2 “Frequently” and 3 “Occasionally” to being worried about becoming a victim of crime. People’s identification of a discriminated group is measured by responses ‘’Yes’’ to the question “Would you describe yourself as being a member of a group that is discriminated against in [Country]?”. Financial concerns are measured by asking ‘’In general, thinking about the next year or two, how concerned are you about your household's finances and overall social and economic well-being?’’ and aggregating responses 3 (somewhat concerned) and 4 (very concerned). The satisfaction rates are indicated only for respondents with recent experience with administrative services who reply in the affirmative to the question “In the last 12 months, have you personally made use of an administrative in [COUNTRY] (for example, applying for a passport, registering a birth, or applying for benefits etc.)?”. “OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries. The question of whether respondents worry about becoming a victim of crime was not asked during the OECD Trust Survey in 2023, except in Chile. Therefore, the average for this question is based only on responses from Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, and Paraguay.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
The OECD Trust Survey in LAC explored three critical dimensions related to service delivery. Two questions focused on fairness: one assessing whether public employees are viewed as treating people equally regardless of personal characteristics (income, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin), and another examining the perceived likelihood that respondents' own applications for government benefits would be processed fairly. A third question addressed integrity by measuring perceptions of whether public employees would accept or refuse bribes to expedite services.
In LAC countries, over a third of the population believe their application for government benefits would be treated fairly (36%) and that public employees treat all people equally (38%), as shown in Figure 3.9. This pattern is consistent across most LAC countries. The only exception is Brazil, where 48% believe their own application would be treated fairly, while only 36% think public employees treat everyone equally. The relatively positive expectations of being treated oneself fairly could be related to the re-instauration and expansion of Bolsa Família, a social protection programme that has historically shown success in reducing poverty and income inequality (OECD, 2023[16]). In OECD countries, 52% believe their application for social benefits would be treated fairly, and 45% that public employees treat everyone fairly. People who feel they belong to a discriminated group are less likely to believe public employees will treat everyone equally, and that applications for government benefits will be processed fairly, compared to those who do not identify as belonging to a discriminated group.
Share of population who find it likely that they would be treated fairly and that all people would be treated equally, 2023 or 2025
Note: The figure shows the average share who respond that it is ‘likely’ (responses 6-10 on a 0-10 scale) to the questions “If a public employee interacted with the public in the area where you live, how likely do you think it is that they would treat all people equally regardless of their income level, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or country of origin?” (blue) and “If you or a member of your household applied for a government benefit or service, how likely do you think it is that your application would be treated fairly?” (yellow). “OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
Perceptions about public sector integrity show concerning patterns across LAC and OECD countries (OECD, 2024[17]; OECD, 2021[18]). Only 31% of LAC respondents believe an employee would refuse a bribe to speed up service access, while 55% think refusal is unlikely (Figure 3.10), compared to OECD averages of 36% and 43%, respectively.
Share of population who find it likely or unlikely that a public employee would refuse a bribe, 2023 or 2025
Note: The figure shows the within-country distributions of responses to the question “If a public employee were offered money by a citizen or a firm for speeding up access to a public service, how likely do you think it is that they would refuse it?”. The “likely” proportion is the aggregation of responses from 6-10 on the scale; “neutral” is equal to a response of 5; “unlikely” is the aggregation of responses from 0-4; and “Do not know” was a separate answer. “OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
Feedback loops, innovation, and digitalisation can form a powerful triad for adapting public institutions to reliably meet people's needs. Public institutions that remain open to feedback and adapt their practices accordingly tend to be more successful in addressing people's needs. Innovation serves as a crucial catalyst, enabling the development of fresh approaches to meet people expectations where traditional structures fall short. The digital transformation has emerged as a strategic tool to build more reliable and efficient processes. This transformation is further driven by rising public expectations to interact with government services through digital channels, reflecting technological integration in other aspects of daily life.
People in LAC countries show more confidence in their government’s ability to handle complaints (43%) than the OECD’s average (39%). Similarly, 41% of the population surveyed believe public institutions would implement innovative service improvements, comparable to the OECD average of 39%. Conversely, 38% of LAC respondents trust government institutions to use their personal data legitimately, significantly lower than the OECD average of 52%.
Regression results (Annex A) suggest that when people perceive that services improve after complaints, they are more likely to place high or moderately high trust in local government (2.4 percentage points) and the civil service (1.8 percentage points). Additionally, perceptions that government bodies will use personal data only for legitimate purposes are associated with higher trust for all institutions except the national government. The strongest association appears for the national legislature (1.9 percentage points), followed by the civil service (1.8 percentage points), and local government (1.7 percentage points).
3.3.1. LAC respondents feel governments are more responsive to complaints and innovative ideas than their OECD peers
Public institutions that aim to deliver human-centered policies and services achieve greater success when they demonstrate openness to public input and feedback. According to the OECD Trust Survey, people in LAC countries are slightly more optimistic about public institution responsiveness than the OECD average (Figure 3.11). The survey indicates that 43% of people in LAC believe public services would improve following complaints, compared to 39% in OECD countries. Similarly, 41% in LAC countries believe innovative ideas would be adopted to improve services, which is slightly higher than the OECD average of 39%. Despite these marginally better perceptions, the findings still show that fewer than half of respondents have confidence in public institutions' responsiveness to feedback.
A closer look at the data reveals variation across LAC countries. Mexico (48%), Ecuador (48%), and Brazil (49%) consistently show higher confidence in their governments' ability to address complaints effectively, with similar percentages believing innovative ideas would be adopted (45%, 47%, and 43% respectively). In contrast, Peru and Paraguay demonstrate markedly lower confidence levels, with between 32% and 35% of respondents expressing optimism on both measures, below OECD averages. The remaining countries (Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica) also maintain consistent response patterns across both questions, suggesting stable public perceptions of government responsiveness.
Share of population who find it likely that public services would be improved after a complaint or an innovative idea would be adopted, 2023 or 2025
Note: The figure shows the average share who respond that it is ‘likely’ (responses 6-10 on a 0-10 scale) to the questions “If many people complained about a public service that is working badly, how likely do you think it is that it would be improved?” (blue bar) and “If there were an innovative idea that could improve a public service, how likely do you think it is that it would be adopted by the responsible institution?” (yellow square). “OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
This relatively high satisfaction with responsiveness is a bright spot in the relationship between public institutions and people – a foundation that governments can leverage to address trust gaps. There is further opportunity to transform public services with a human-centered approach, improving both physical and digital users’ experiences to address identified pain points. However, if user needs are not properly understood during implementation, these initiatives risk perpetuating existing structural problems and potentially widening satisfaction and trust gaps rather than closing them. User-centred service design experiences in Brazil (including at the subnational level, Sao Paulo’s one-stop shops created as part of its Poupatempo reform), as well as the establishment of Councils of Users (OECD, 2023[16]) could serve as relevant examples to strengthen a human-centered approach in the region.
3.3.2. A large share of the population is concerned over data protection in a context of digital transformation of the public sector
Latin American and Caribbean governments have been actively pursuing digital transformation in the public sector to enhance service delivery and drive innovation. The 2023 Digital Government Index (DGI) for LAC reveals varying degrees of progress across the region (OECD/IADB, 2024[19]). Among the ten countries assessed, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Mexico emerged as top performers, achieving results comparable to, or slightly better than, the OECD average. These countries demonstrated balanced performance across all six dimensions9 of the index, indicating comprehensive implementation of digital government policies. However, the overall regional average reflects uneven advancement, with six countries scoring in the lower half of the index (<0.5). Digital government initiatives are particularly important for the region as they strive to better respond to individuals’ needs and ease interactions between citizens and public bodies.
Note: The data collection period for the 2023 edition of the DGI LAC is from 1 January 2020 to 31 October 2022
Source: OECD Survey on Digital Government 2.0.
The Digital Government Index also suggests that LAC countries are progressing in the use of data as a strategic asset to enhance public service delivery and foster evidence-based decision making (OECD/IADB, 2024[19]). However, compared to OECD countries, LAC countries still have significant room for improvement. While roughly half of surveyed LAC countries have implemented interoperability systems, a significant portion of public sector organisations have not integrated with these platforms, and only a small fraction exchange all evaluated data categories. Data protection mechanisms are also assessed as insufficient, with only a minority of countries establishing central data protection authorities and very few having mechanisms for exercising data rights.
The OECD Trust survey in LAC shows significantly lower levels of confidence in government institutions' legitimate use of personal data compared to the OECD average. While 52% of people in OECD countries feel confident that government institutions would only use their personal data for legitimate reasons, the LAC average is at 38% (Figure 3.13). This widespread scepticism aligns with the regional Digital Government Index scores linked to data protection mechanisms. It underscores the critical need for LAC governments to strengthen data governance frameworks, enhance transparency in data usage, and implement robust safeguards to protect personal information. Chile’s recently approved bill on personal data protection, aiming to address some of these issues, will enter into force by September 2026, and could serve as an interesting example in the region (OECD, 2024[10]). Since people who find it likely that their data will only be used for legitimate purposes are more likely to place trust in all public institutions with the exception of the national government, investments in this area can lead to trust gains.
Share of respondents who find it likely or unlikely that the government uses their personal data for legitimate purposes only
Note: The figure shows the average share who respond that it is ‘likely’ (responses 6-10 on a 0-10 scale) to the question “If you shared your personal data with a public agency/office/department, how likely do you think it is that it would be used for legitimate purposes only? “OECD” presents the unweighted average across 30 OECD including the four LAC OECD countries in 2023. “LAC” presents the unweighted average across the ten LAC countries, gathered in 2023 for the OECD LAC countries and in 2025 for the non-OECD LAC countries.
Source: 2023 OECD Trust Survey and 2025 OECD Trust Survey in LAC.
The digital transformation of public services also creates significant challenges. As more services move online, providing offline alternatives becomes increasingly costly, potentially disadvantaging those without internet access or digital skills (OECD, 2024[20]; OECD, 2024[21]). In 2022, only 67% of LAC10 households had internet access at home compared to 91% in OECD countries, with stark disparities between income levels and levels of urbanisation (UNDP, 2024[22]). This may directly impact service accessibility, with 27% of recent users of an administrative service in LAC reporting dissatisfaction with their ability to access administrative services through preferred channels—higher than the 21% OECD average (Figure 3.7). This reinforces the need for public servant “guardrails” to accompany disadvantaged service users through the digital transition of government (OECD, 2024[21]).
References
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← 1. This data point is based on the question “On a scale of 0-10, how important do you think it is that each of the following goals are prioritised in [COUNTRY]?”. The other answer options were providing equal opportunities for all; helping workers adapt to automation, digitalization and new technologies; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; reducing public debt; creating the conditions for business to thrive; managing migration; and combatting crime.
← 2. The Gallup World Poll also gathers information on respondents’ trust in various institutions. However, the key distinction between the Gallup World Poll and the OECD Trust survey lies in their scope. The OECD Trust survey is more comprehensive, as it not only measures levels of trust in public institutions and satisfaction with certain public services but also explores in greater detail factors that shape this trust compared to the Gallup World Poll. Its questionnaire examines people’s experiences with and expectations of government competencies (reliability and responsiveness), capacity to tackle global challenges, and values (openness, integrity, and fairness). All of these factors are expected to play a role in shaping trust in institutions.
← 3. “LAC” covers Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru. Data for Ecuador is not available.
← 4. “LAC” here covers Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru. Data for Ecuador is not available.
← 5. “LAC” covers Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru. Data for Ecuador is not available.
← 6. It is relevant to note that data on healthcare satisfaction have been influenced by the pandemic, and 2022 may still have been an unusual year.
← 7. 2022 PISA covers: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay.
← 8. These findings are based on country-specific surveys on income and out-of-pocket medical expenditures gathered between 2014 and 2020. The poverty line is defined as the higher of the USD 1.90 (USD 2011 PPP) poverty line and a 60% of median consumption poverty line (%).
← 9. These six main dimensions characterising a fully digital government include: Digital by design, Data-driven public sector, Government as a platform, Open by default, User-driven, and Proactiveness.
← 10. “LAC” covers Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Santa Lucia, and Uruguay.