Ranked: Countries With the Most Trust in Science

Which Countries Have the Most Trust in Science?

Public trust in science varies dramatically worldwide, with some countries reporting more than 10 times the share of highly trusting respondents as others.

This visualization uses data from the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026, which surveyed more than 140,000 people across 140 countries in 2025.

Ranking 140 Countries on Trust in Science

The following table ranks countries by the share of respondents ages 15 and older who trust science “a lot,” using weighted survey results from Wellcome.

Rank	Country	Trust in Science “A Lot” (%)
1	Spain	67.9
2	Finland	65.9
3	Uzbekistan	63.8
4	Tajikistan	60.7
5	Germany	59.7
6	Belgium	59.3
7	Norway	58.6
8	Canada	54.3
9	Iceland	53.8
10	Sweden	53.5
11	Denmark	53.4
12	Austria	52.9
13	United States	52.5
14	United Kingdom	51.2
15	Ireland	50.4
16	France	50.2
17	Australia	49.5
18	Switzerland	49.4
19	Slovenia	49.4
20	Czech Republic	49.2
21	Portugal	48.9
22	Luxembourg	48.2
23	New Zealand	46.4
24	Netherlands	46.4
25	Niger	45.7
26	Estonia	43.9
27	Italy	43.3
28	Mali	42.7
29	Israel	40.5
30	Hungary	40.2
31	Kuwait	39.4
32	Guinea	38.7
33	Uruguay	38.5
34	Argentina	37.9
35	Philippines	37.6
36	Algeria	37.4
37	Greece	36.2
38	Northern Cyprus	35.2
39	Tanzania	33.5
40	Bangladesh	32.5
41	Bahrain	32.3
42	Singapore	32.0
43	Vietnam	31.7
44	United Arab Emirates	31.4
45	Lebanon	31.2
46	Malawi	31.0
47	Azerbaijan	30.8
48	Brazil	30.8
49	Mozambique	30.4
50	Liberia	29.8
51	Mongolia	29.8
52	India	29.8
53	Cyprus	29.4
54	Lithuania	29.2
55	Sri Lanka	29.1
56	Egypt	28.7
57	South Korea	28.4
58	Malta	28.4
59	Myanmar	28.0
60	Comoros	27.8
61	Ghana	27.7
62	Romania	27.5
63	Venezuela	25.9
64	Saudi Arabia	25.9
65	Chile	25.8
66	Jordan	25.5
67	Russia	25.0
68	Zimbabwe	24.9
69	Uganda	24.1
70	Kyrgyzstan	24.1
71	Taiwan	23.8
72	Mexico	23.8
73	Benin	23.7
74	Slovakia	23.5
75	Zambia	23.3
76	Tunisia	22.8
77	Nepal	22.8
78	Montenegro	22.7
79	Senegal	22.1
80	Mauritania	21.6
81	South Africa	21.5
82	Iraq	21.4
83	Bulgaria	21.4
84	Cameroon	21.1
85	Costa Rica	20.7
86	Armenia	20.4
87	Latvia	20.4
88	Madagascar	20.4
89	Indonesia	20.1
90	Turkiye	20.0
91	Burkina Faso	20.0
92	Paraguay	19.5
93	Dominican Republic	19.4
94	Ethiopia	19.3
95	Colombia	19.3
96	Serbia	19.1
97	Chad	19.1
98	Kosovo	18.9
99	Malaysia	18.7
100	Bosnia and Herzegovina	18.7
101	Kenya	18.6
102	Japan	18.6
103	El Salvador	18.5
104	Laos	18.4
105	Cambodia	18.4
106	Botswana	17.9
107	Panama	17.6
108	Ukraine	17.2
109	Kazakhstan	17.0
110	Congo Brazzaville	16.3
111	Guatemala	16.3
112	Honduras	16.2
113	Morocco	15.4
114	Nigeria	15.2
115	Peru	15.2
116	Sierra Leone	15.1
117	Palestinian Territories	14.7
118	Bolivia	14.7
119	Hong Kong	13.9
120	Libya	13.8
121	Ecuador	13.7
122	China	13.7
123	Poland	13.5
124	Lesotho	13.5
125	Namibia	13.3
126	Thailand	13.2
127	Ivory Coast	13.0
128	Congo (Kinshasa)	12.8
129	Gabon	12.7
130	Croatia	12.4
131	The Gambia	12.2
132	Mauritius	11.7
133	Albania	10.8
134	Moldova	10.4
135	Jamaica	10.2
136	Pakistan	9.3
137	Georgia	9.1
138	Somalia	9.1
139	North Macedonia	8.2
140	Togo	5.8

Among the most surprising results are Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which rank third and fourth globally, ahead of major scientific powers including the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

At the other end of the ranking, several countries report single-digit levels of high trust, highlighting substantial differences in public attitudes toward science worldwide.

Does Education Influence Trust in Science?

Several highly educated and innovative economies rank among the countries with the greatest trust in science. Finland, Germany, and Sweden all make the top 10.

However, Uzbekistan (63.8%) and Tajikistan (60.7%) rank third and fourth globally, ahead of many wealthier nations with more established research institutions. This suggests that educational attainment and economic development alone cannot explain differences in public trust.

Wellcome’s researchers found little convincing evidence of a consistent relationship between trust in science and scientific literacy. They also found no clear country-level association between trust and average scientific literacy or government education spending.

What Role Does Religion Play?

Religious belief does not necessarily translate into skepticism toward science. Muslim-majority Uzbekistan and Tajikistan rank among the world’s most trusting countries, while Pakistan (9.3%) ranks near the bottom, highlighting substantial differences even among countries sharing a predominant religion.

The relationship is similarly complex within scientific communities. Theos Think Tank found that 94% of surveyed scientists in India and 87% in Turkey identified with a religious tradition, compared with 40% in the United States and 36% in the United Kingdom. Separate Pew Research interviews suggest that many Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists view science and religion as compatible rather than inherently conflicting.

Ultimately, religious identity alone is a poor predictor of scientific trust. Cultural context, institutional confidence, and how religious communities interpret scientific findings can all shape public attitudes.

Global Trust in Science Has Fallen Since 2020

Globally, 72% of respondents reported trusting science “some” or “a lot” in 2025, down from 80% in 2020, according to Wellcome. This represents an eight-percentage-point decline over five years.

A Harvard Global Health Institute discussion highlighted how distrust can reflect structural inequalities, institutional failures, misinformation, and political polarization, particularly among underrepresented populations.

These findings suggest that strengthening scientific trust requires more than scientific advancement. Economic inclusion, reliable institutions, and effective public communication also matter.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To explore another perspective on global scientific achievement, see Ranked: The Best Countries at Science on Voronoi.

• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-most-trust-in-science/