10.3 Trust in public institutions Te whakawhirinaki ki ngā whakahaere tūmatanui
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10.3. Trust in public institutions | Te whakawhirinaki ki ngā whakahaere tūmatanui
Overall trends show a broad erosion in New Zealanders' trust in public institutions between 2018 and 2023.
Trust declined between 2018 and 2023 (Figure 141). Trust in the courts, education system, and police remained relatively high but showed modest downward shifts in 2021 and 2023. Trust in the health system and Parliament fell more sharply. The media had the lowest trust ratings of the institutions measured in 2018, and those ratings further declined during this period.
It is unclear whether these trends will continue or stabilise. Figure 141 is based on the General Social Survey. The most recent version of this Survey was carried out in 2025, and results will be publicly available in 2027.
Figure 141: New Zealanders' trust in public institutions
Trust, average rating (0=lowest, 10=highest), by institution, 2015–2023
Source: Stats NZ, General Social Survey
Notes:
1. The confidence intervals mark the absolute standard error, 95% margin of error expressed as an absolute value.
2. The questions asked were: The following questions are about whether you have trust in various institutions in New Zealand. Even if you've had very little or no contact with them, please base your answer on your general impression of these institutions. ... on a scale of zero [not at all] to ten [completely] , how much do you trust the [courts/education system/etc.]?