Who do the Germans trust?

Results of the GfK Global Trust Report 2011

The GfK Verein asked the trust question in 25 countries: Which economic sectors and institutions enjoy the trust of the population? The Germans rely the most on crafts, they trust banks and insurance companies the least. The police, judiciary and armed forces were able to achieve the highest values ​​for the institutions. Political parties, on the other hand, are at the bottom of the trust scale.

The economic and financial crisis has left its mark: Only 36 percent of Germans have confidence in banks and insurance companies - they bring up the rear when evaluating economic sectors. A comparison with other European countries shows that the financial institutions in Italy (24 percent), Spain (30 percent) and France (35 percent) have even worse values. On the other hand, the Germans appreciate handicrafts the most: 88 percent of those surveyed trust this branch of the economy. This is only surpassed in the Netherlands with a trust value of 90 percent.

Government agencies are far ahead in Germany

In Germany, state institutions lead the trust ranking, which can be evidence of a well-functioning democracy. At the top is by far the police, who are trusted by 85 percent of Germans. The judiciary and courts also achieved good values ​​with 67 percent, the military and army with 62 percent and offices, authorities and administration with 59 percent. But only 29 percent trust the government. The Germans also have little confidence in non-governmental organizations – at 27 percent they achieve the worst value in Europe. Germans trust political parties the least – they only get 17 percent. However, other European countries are showing even greater political frustration: in France, the trust value of the parties is 12 percent, in Italy and Spain it is only 9 percent each.

Trusting cooperation in Europe

Despite the uncertain times for many people, there is no sign of a general collapse in trust. 77 percent of Germans stated that they generally trust their fellow human beings completely or mostly. Only 21 percent say they have little or no trust in others. In Europe, coexistence is generally assessed as positive: A clear majority of the countries surveyed have values ​​of more than 70 percent on this question. Only the Italians show a certain distrust: only 49 percent trust their fellow human beings. At 47 percent, this value is only undercut by Argentina, Egypt and Nigeria.

“In many countries there is a clear connection between trust in people and the police and the degree of democratization in a country. Where openness and transparency prevail, people and the police are usually treated with more trust. This is the case, for example, in Germany, Sweden and Canada,” says Raimund Wildner, Managing Director of the GfK Verein, commenting on the results.

Trust in the military and church is high worldwide

In an international comparison of various institutions, the military and army have the greatest trust at 79 percent. A uniform international picture emerges. In France, Great Britain, Poland, the USA, Brazil and Japan, for example, the military or army comes out on top. The media (TV, radio, newspapers) follow in second place with 59 percent. On average, 56 percent of all countries surveyed trust the church. The media follow, coming second in India and Indonesia with 81 and 77 percent, respectively. In South Africa, the church has the most trust at 82 percent, but trust in this institution is also above average in the USA at 78 percent, and in Russia the church is the organization's trust champion at 60 percent. In contrast, trust in Germany is significantly lower at just 40 percent.

Heterogeneous picture when it comes to trust in individual sectors

Looking at the 25 countries as a whole, consumer electronics and household appliance manufacturers as well as food manufacturers are at the top of the economic sectors, with more than 70 percent trusting these sectors. However, there are differences between the countries: in Great Britain, the USA and Japan, the consumer electronics and household appliances industry leads the ranking. In Germany, Italy and Poland, craftsmanship is at the top. The French consider the trade to be particularly reliable, and in Brazil people trust drug manufacturers above all. In South Africa, where confidence in business is generally particularly high, food manufacturers lead with 83 percent, while globally they rank second.

To study

The results are an excerpt from the GfK Global Trust Report 2011 and are based on around 28.000 interviews that were carried out on behalf of the GfK Verein in autumn 2011 in a total of 25 countries. The basis of the study is the survey of trust in eleven institutions, eleven sectors and in people in general using the following scale: "I trust completely", "I mostly trust", "I trust less", "I don't trust at all". The GfK Global Trust Report will be published annually in the future.

To the GfK Association

The GfK Verein is a non-profit organization founded in 1934 to promote market research. It is made up of around 600 companies and individuals. The purpose of the association is to develop innovative research methods in close cooperation with scientific institutions, to promote the training and further education of market researchers and to track the structures and developments in society, economy and politics that are fundamental to private consumption and their effects on consumers to explore. The study results are made available to the members of the association free of charge. The GfK Verein is a shareholder of GfK SE. More information at www.gfk-verein.org.

Source: Nuremberg [ GfK Verein ]