India Ranked Most Trustworthy Country Globally
A new international index has identified India as the world leader in public trust across 31 surveyed countries.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Friendships
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India achieved the top position in the 2026 Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index with a net score of +20. The survey, which spanned 31 nations, highlighted that citizens in India hold significantly higher levels of trust in institutions and individuals compared to global averages.
Why it matters
Understanding public trust is critical to analyzing social cohesion and community cooperation, as varying levels of interpersonal confidence define how different societies function. The index reveals substantial disparities in how citizens perceive the reliability of experts, institutions, and their peers.
India earned a net trustworthiness score of +20 in a survey of 23,537 adults across 31 countries. Notably, 51% of Indians trust AI chatbots, well above the 23% global average, while 48% of Indians describe politicians generally as untrustworthy.
The players
Ipsos
Ipsos is a multinational market research and consulting firm that conducts large-scale public opinion polls and social research globally.
The details
Within India, 68% of the population expressed trust in scientists and the armed forces, while 64% placed their confidence in teachers and 61% in doctors. Meanwhile, 53% of Indians view ordinary men and women as trustworthy, outpacing the 34% global average for interpersonal trust.
Timeline
The Ipsos survey was conducted online between June 19, 2026, and July 3, 2026.
Culture Shift
The results of the 2026 index highlight a notable divergence in how different cultures define reliability in an era of rapid technological adoption. As societies navigate the shift toward automated interaction, the high trust levels in AI reported in India suggest a unique societal embrace of technology that contrasts with more skeptical global trends.
The study suggests that individuals living in high-trust environments may find it easier to form professional and personal networks. These findings provide a benchmark for how cultural attitudes toward peers and technology can shape daily interpersonal interactions and community engagement.
The takeaway
High levels of institutional trust often correlate with stronger community cohesion and a more optimistic outlook on shared societal goals. Readers can consider how their own levels of trust in professionals and neighbors shape their engagement within their own local networks.
Further reading
Explore more about the dynamics of social connection and interpersonal bonds in our Friendships section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MediaBrief.
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Do you find artificial intelligence more trustworthy than traditional public institutions?
