Survey design and technical documentation supporting the 2021 OECD Survey on Drivers
of Trust in Government Institutions
The inaugural OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions carried out in
2021 (“Trust Survey”) is a novel measurement tool supporting OECD governments in reinforcing
democratic processes, improving governance outcomes, and, correspondingly, strengthening
people’s trust in their democratic government. This paper provides the technical details
of the surveying process for the inaugural OECD Trust Survey, including its coverage
and sample design. The paper also reviews the methodological aspects of the survey
to provide an account of the progress made in measuring trust in public institutions
cross-country, with respect to previous projects and recommendations included in the
OECD Guidelines for Measuring Trust. Finally, it proposes the continuation of the
survey in the future, highlights potential areas for improvement in cross-country
comparability and for continued cooperation with National Statistical Offices.
Published on July 11, 2022
In series:OECD Working Papers on Public Governanceview more titles