According to a new report published by the Rockefeller Foundation, trust in organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is higher in Scandinavia than in other European regions.
The survey, which collected responses from over 36,000 people from 34 countries, aims to measure public opinion on international cooperation.
The results show that people around the world believe global cooperation is important to address challenges such as food and water security supported by 93% and 91% of respondents, as well as the climate-supported by the global health of 93% and 91%.
However, there is relatively little confidence in the institutions addressing these issues, with the best being the 60% World Health Organization, with the UN at 58%.
In Sweden and Norway, 64% of people reported trusting the United Nations, while 69% said they trusted the WHO.
However, in other parts of Europe, recorded levels of confidence have been particularly low. In Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Romania) and Western Europe (Italy, France, Germany, Spain, UK), trust in these institutions was just over 50%.
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) trust levels were low, with 44% and 46% of global respondents expressing trust in these institutions.
Confidence in the IMF is also relatively weak across Europe. Fifty percent of Scandinavian respondents expressed their trust in the organization, but this figure fell to 41% in Eastern Europe and to just 39% in Western Europe.
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Sub-Saharan Africa around the world recorded the highest level of trust in international organizations, research found. International organizations enjoy strong support in countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Ghana.
WHO is particularly highly regarded, with 85% of respondents expressing their trust. The region’s most underrated organizations, the IMF and the International Criminal Court (ICC), are both 70%, attracting more confidence than most other parts of the world.
In contrast, lowest confidence levels were recorded in Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In these countries, only the European Court of Human Rights has exceeded the 50% confidence threshold. The African Union, which has only 41% of respondents’ trust, scored the lowest.
