WIREDGOV

An Official Statistics Publication

The Scottish Household Survey: Trust in Public Institutions 2023 report, published today, contains the key findings of the question asked in the social survey on trust in public institutions in Scotland. The survey asked to what extent people trusted seven different public institutions: the Scottish Government, local government, the Civil Service, the education system, the health system, the police and the justice system (which includes courts, lawyers and prisons).

The institutions that adults in Scotland were most likely to express trust in were the health system (78%) and the police (73%). Compared to 2022 findings, this represents a very slight decline in trust in the health system (79% in 2022) and a slightly larger decline in trust in the police (78% in 2022).

Of the seven institutions, people were most likely to express distrust in the Scottish Government (45%) and local government (35%). Compared to 2022 figures, this represents a slight increase in distrust of local government (32% in 2022) and a larger increase in distrust in Scottish Government (38% in 2022).

The Scottish Household Survey provides breakdowns according to the following demographic characteristics: sex, age, disability, ethnicity, urban rural classification, and area deprivation. Changes in levels of trust vary across these characteristics and in relation to the different public institutions being asked about.