The public’s trust in government isn’t a rhetorical notion or a “nice to have.” It’s the foundation of the social contract struck between the people and institutions meant to serve and protect them. It’s the fabric that keeps societies intact, unified, and collectively driven towards a better future. Trusted government organizations: 1) earn broad public support for their policies and actions, 2) attract the top talent into public sector roles, and 3) build resilient relationships across communities, partner ecosystems, and other government organizations at all levels.

However, people’s trust in government is being tested as contentious events around the world raise concerns about cost of living, trade, job security, immigration, economic development, and other issues.

Forrester defines trust as the confidence that a person or an institution will spark a positive outcome in a relationship.

Forrester’s Government Trust Imperative Metric (GTIM) provides a whole‑of‑government view of how much trust people place in their national, regional, and municipal institutions.  GTIM is derived from Forrester’s Global Government, Society, And Trust Survey, 2025 — a robust study of more than 11,000 respondents across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, metropolitan India, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US.

GTIM is built on two key components:

  • Seven levers of trust: accountability, competence, consistency, dependability, empathy, integrity, and transparency.
  • Four trust outcomes: whether people believe their government is trustworthy, will create a better future, will meet people’s needs, and will effectively address societal issues.

Unlike traditional trust measurement frameworks, GTIM doesn’t simply capture how much people trust government — it reveals how that trust drives mission‑critical behaviors. When people trust the government, they are more willing to comply with its guidance, share personal information, seek government expertise, adopt new services, and support innovation. Trust also increases tolerance for potential missteps, helping governments maintain engagement and order even when things don’t go as planned.

To reflect local context, the GTIM algorithm weighs each trust lever based on its influence within each country. This ensures that every GTIM score provides a meaningful, country‑specific view of how people form trust — and what governments can do to strengthen it.

Singapore: Strong Trust

In 2025, Singaporeans reported an average GTIM of 65.2 on our 100-point scale. Dependability, transparency, and empathy were the top trust levers. The high level of trust in Singapore’s government institutions is associated with the public’s strong sense of national pride. However, there are key trust differences among various demographics. To read the full report, click here.

Australia: Moderate Trust

Australians report moderate trust, with a GTIM of 47.7. Like Singapore, transparency, dependability, and empathy are the top trust levers. Trust varies significantly by geography and demographic group. To read the full report, click here.

United States: Weak Trust

People who live in the US report weak trust in their federal government, with a GTIM of 37.7. Dependability and empathy are again top trust levers, though accountability rounds out the top three. Differences in trust are visible based on gender and age. To read the full report, click here.

What Government Leaders Should Do Now

Across all three markets, the path forward is consistent. Public‑sector leaders should:

  1. Measure trust deliberately. Use GTIM to identify trust levers, demographic gaps, and behavioral risks.
  2. Prioritize a small number of high‑impact trust levers. Choose initiatives that strengthen the most influential drivers in your country’s trust recipe.
  3. Integrate trust with experience improvements. Tie trust goals directly to CX, EX, and digital initiatives.
  4. Request an inquiry with Forrester to dive deeper. Besides simply reading the reports, if you’re a client, please reach out to schedule an inquiry or Guidance Session.