The OECD trust survey explores people’s perceptions of different public institutions in their country and the degree to which they trust their government. These perceptions range from day-to-day interactions with public institutions to decision making on complex policy issues. It showcases evidence on people’s experiences with and expectations of government reliability, responsiveness, fairness, integrity and openness. 

The 2025 survey, which followed earlier rounds in 2021 and 2023, includes 33 OECD countries and 5 OECD accession countries. The survey covers a representative sample of the adult population of each participating country. It was carried out between 10 September and 5 November in Australia, aligned with data collection in a majority of participating countries. 

For the first time, the survey gathered evidence on familiarity with artificial intelligence (AI) and public expectations about its potential benefits in government.

Key findings

• Between 2021 and 2025, Australia recorded an increase in trust in the federal government.
• In 2025, trust was higher in law-and-order and administrative institutions than in political institutions, in line with OECD-wide patterns. 
• Trust gaps by education are pronounced.
• Perceptions of day-to-day dealings with public institutions in Australia are more positive than the OECD
  average.
• When asked about future AI use in the public sector, 43% of Australians believe the government will use
  AI to provide more tailored services, while 42% think AI will be used to reduce costs.