Dissatisfaction and feeling of grievance. This is how it could be described, according to the report “Trust Barometer 2025” of Edelman, the sentiment of citizens at a global level. Six out of ten people report moderate and high levels of discontent towards governments, companies and economic elites, considering that they act to the detriment of the majority, prioritizing economic interests.
It is the main finding of the communication and public relations consultancy after collecting, through an online survey carried out between October 25 and November 16, 2024, the opinions of more 33,000 individuals in 28 countries. This marks the 25th edition of this annual report, which collects the perception of users regarding businesses, media, government and non-governmental organizations.
The Trust Barometer reflects a climate of distrust towards all types of institutions
In general terms, the report includes a climate of mistrust towards all types of institutions, surrounded, among other things, in a complex economic context full of imbalances, as well as in an uncertain geopolitical panorama and in technological progress that compromises the ways of working today.
Below we highlight some of the most relevant conclusions of Edelman’s “Trust Barometer 2025”:
Trust continues to be placed in companies
Despite the general climate of discontent, the companies They continue to be the only ones capable of gaining the trust of citizens, although their trust index drops compared to the previous edition of the report. Confidence in the NGOswhile the amount deposited in media and in governments.
It should be remembered that Edelman establishes three levels of trust: distrust (index from 1 to 49), neutrality (50-58) and trust (60-100).
Companies are the only institutions that are perceived as competent and ethical, while NGOs are only seen as ethical. For their part, both the media and governments are perceived as incompetent and unethical. All in all, the four institutions improve their perceptions compared to those achieved in 2020.
At the individual level, the government leaders They continue to be the most distrusted agents, with an index of 47. In the neutrality zone of the scale are journalists (52) and CEOs (53); while in the trust zone are, from lowest to highest, neighbors (61), compatriots (64), one’s own CEO (67), teachers (75) and scientists (77).
The mistrust It is at one of its highest points. What’s more, the belief that institutions lie to citizens, or deliberately confuse them with false statements or exaggerations, has grown significantly in the last four years. The greatest increase is found, despite everything, among business leaders.

The reasons for discontent
Dissatisfaction, discontent and feelings of grievance arise from various causes. One of them is the loss of optimism especially with regard to the progress of new generations. And only 36% of those surveyed globally consider that the next one will be better than the current one.
The vision of an unequal and unjust world is another one of them. According to the data offered by Edelman, 67% of citizens believe that economic elites do not pay their due share of taxes and 65% believe that their selfishness causes many of the common problems. Among other things, this is leading to the consolidation of the so-called “zero-sum mindset”, that is, a mentality that conceives that one person’s gain is another person’s loss.
The feeling of grievance is also caused by the economic and political instability as well as its impact on employment. So much so that the recession, international trade conflicts and foreign business competition are ranked as the main concerns for job security.
He social climate of tension nor does it help improve citizen sentiment. 63% of those surveyed are afraid of suffering prejudice, discrimination or racism.
What companies can do to improve trust
Given the current atmosphere of concern, fear and mistrust, citizens believe that companies must provide your employees with well-paying jobss in their local communities, and also train them and provide them with the skills to be competitive.
Furthermore, they consider that they should do more in areas such as the cost of living, climate change, training, misinformation or discrimination. Although these positions are influenced by the feeling of grievance, in such a way that the greater the dissatisfaction, the more it is considered that companies can do more about the aforementioned issues.
Likewise, they also consider that the CEOs can act on social problemsespecially if they can make a big impact on the challenge at hand or if doing so can improve business performance. They also believe business leaders should take action if the business has contributed to the problem or if it negatively affects customers, employees and communities.
How to build trust
Beyond companies, the “Trust Barometer 2025” also includes what other institutions can focus on to regain the trust of citizens. Respondents believe that government leaders will achieve authority and legitimacy when they generate positive impact in their lives and understand what they and people like them need and want.
For their part, NGOs must fight against social division and repair the social fabric, while the media must focus on informing the public with verified facts.
In the era of discontent, Edelman includes in his report four keys to working on trust:
- Address discontent: Companies must understand the economic reality of their stakeholders, rely on shared interests and create opportunities for optimism.
- License to act: To navigate expectations, one must understand that companies have obligations, act in the interest of all stakeholders, and defend the organization.
- Collaboration between institutions: Companies, governments, media and NGOs must work together to attack the reasons for discontent and improve trust, offer quality information, generate prosperity and boost communities.
- Optimism defeats discontent: Working on trust in the organization itself and in the communities in which it impacts is necessary to increase optimism and, thus, address discontent.
More info.: Edelman Trust Barometer 2025