Public Trust in Federal Services Holds at 62%

An Australian Public Service Commission survey finds trust in federal government services unchanged from last year while satisfaction rises.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Government

Public Trust in Federal Services Holds at 62%

Live Poll

Do you trust federal government services to serve Australians well?

Trust in federal government services held at 62 per cent in the Australian Public Service Commission's latest survey, unchanged from the previous year. Satisfaction with public services rose one percentage point to 70 per cent.

Why it matters

The survey, drawing on more than 12,000 responses, offers a measure of how Australians rate the government services they rely on in daily life. Stable trust alongside rising satisfaction suggests that service experience is improving even where confidence in government as a whole has not moved.

The survey measured 19 services using more than 12,000 responses gathered between July 2025 and June 2026. Trust and satisfaction levels for individual services beyond the top five and Centrelink's lowest ranking were not detailed in the extraction.

The players

Australian Public Service Commission

The Australian Public Service Commission is the statutory agency responsible for public sector governance and workforce standards across the Australian Public Service.

Centrelink

Centrelink is the Australian government agency that delivers income support payments and related services to eligible citizens and residents.

Medicare

Medicare is Australia's publicly funded health insurance scheme that subsidises the cost of medical and hospital care.

The details

Respondents were most satisfied with respectful interactions with staff and least satisfied with a lack of clarity about how decisions were determined. Smartraveller, the Australian Passport Office, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, My Health Record and Medicare recorded the top five levels of trust and satisfaction, while Centrelink recorded the lowest.

Survey feedback was collected between July 2025 and June 2026.
The report was published on 31 October 2026.

Political Context

The flat trust reading follows a pattern of government service ratings tracked through the Australian Public Service Commission's annual survey, which measures citizen confidence against year-on-year change. Counterpoints from opposition parties or advocacy groups were not included in the source extraction.

For people who regularly deal with Centrelink, Medicare or the Passport Office, the survey indicates where service experience is strongest and weakest. Respondents who reported higher trust most often pointed to positive personal experiences, better accessibility and efficiency, and services performing better than expected.

The takeaway

Trust in government services is holding steady, and satisfaction is inching up, which suggests that how services are delivered matters as much as the agencies delivering them. Respectful staff interactions were the strongest driver of satisfaction in the survey.