Ranked: The Countries that Trust News Most and Least in 2026
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Key Takeaways
- Kenya and Nigeria top the global ranking, with 68% of people saying they trust most news most of the time.
- Finland leads Europe, while the U.S. ranks near the bottom at just 25%, alongside Taiwan and Colombia.
- Among G7 countries, the UK has recorded the largest decline in trust since 2016, falling from 50% to 30%.
Trust in the news differs dramatically across countries. In Kenya and Nigeria, roughly two-thirds of people say they trust most news most of the time, compared with only one-quarter of Americans.
The data for this visualization comes from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s Digital News Report 2026, based on survey data of nearly 100,000 respondents across 48 markets, collected in January and February 2026.
Figures show the share of people in each market who agree they can trust most news most of the time. Data for Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and India is based on mainly English-speaking online samples.
Where Trust in the News Is Highest
Kenya and Nigeria lead the world in trust in news, with 68% of respondents in both countries saying they trust most news most of the time, roughly 10 percentage points higher than in 2022. South Africa (50%) also ranks in the global top 10.
The full ranking below shows the share of respondents in each country who trust most news most of the time:
| Rank | Country | Share of People Who Trust Most News in 2026 | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kenya |
68% | Africa |
| 2 |  Nigeria |
68% | Africa |
| 3 |  Finland |
63% | Europe |
| 4 |  Denmark |
55% | Europe |
| 5 |  Norway |
53% | Europe |
| 6 |  Hong Kong |
52% | Asia-Pacific |
| 7 |  Sweden |
52% | Europe |
| 8 |  Portugal |
51% | Europe |
| 9 |  South Africa |
50% | Africa |
| 10 |  Netherlands |
49% | Europe |
| 11 |  Thailand |
47% | Asia-Pacific |
| 12 |  Germany |
46% | Europe |
| 13 |  Singapore |
46% | Asia-Pacific |
| 14 |  Australia |
43% | Asia-Pacific |
| 15 |  Ireland |
42% | Europe |
| 16 |  Switzerland |
42% | Europe |
| 17 |  Japan |
41% | Asia-Pacific |
| 18 |  Austria |
39% | Europe |
| 19 |  Belgium |
39% | Europe |
| 20 |  India |
39% | Asia-Pacific |
| 21 |  Poland |
39% | Europe |
| 22 |  Canada |
37% | Americas |
| 23 |  Brazil |
36% | Americas |
| 24 |  Chile |
34% | Americas |
| 25 |  Spain |
33% | Europe |
| 26 |  Indonesia |
32% | Asia-Pacific |
| 27 |  Italy |
32% | Europe |
| 28 |  Peru |
32% | Americas |
| 29 |  Czechia |
31% | Europe |
| 30 |  Mexico |
31% | Americas |
| 31 |  Malaysia |
30% | Asia-Pacific |
| 32 |  South Korea |
30% | Asia-Pacific |
| 33 |  UK |
30% | Europe |
| 34 |  Croatia |
29% | Europe |
| 35 |  France |
29% | Europe |
| 36 |  Morocco |
28% | Africa |
| 37 |  Philippines |
28% | Asia-Pacific |
| 38 |  Türkiye |
28% | Middle East |
| 39 |  Argentina |
26% | Americas |
| 40 |  Colombia |
25% | Americas |
| 41 |  Taiwan |
25% | Asia-Pacific |
| 42 |  U.S. |
25% | Americas |
| 43 |  Romania |
23% | Europe |
| 44 |  Serbia |
22% | Europe |
| 45 |  Bulgaria |
21% | Europe |
| 46 |  Slovakia |
19% | Europe |
| 47 |  Greece |
18% | Europe |
| 48 |  Hungary |
17% | Europe |
Finland ranks as Europe’s most trusting news market, with 63% of respondents saying they trust most news most of the time. Denmark, Norway, and Sweden also rank among the global top 10, making the Nordics one of the few regions where trust has generally strengthened over the past decade.
The U.S. ranks well below most developed economies, with only 25% of respondents saying they trust most news most of the time. That places it alongside Taiwan and Colombia and reflects an eight-point decline since 2016. The drop comes amid broader concerns about media polarization and press freedom, which Reporters Without Borders says has fallen to a 25-year low globally.
The UK Saw the Biggest G7 Decline
Among G7 countries, the UK has seen the steepest fall in trust over the past decade, dropping 20 percentage points from 50% in 2016 to 30% in 2026. Brazil fell even further among markets tracked since 2016, down 22 points to 36%, while Canada (down 18 points) and Poland (down 16 points) also saw significant declines.
The lowest levels of trust are concentrated in Eastern and Southern Europe. Hungary ranks last at 17%, followed by Greece (18%) and Slovakia (19%), highlighting how confidence in the news can vary dramatically even within the same region.
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