The OECD Trust Survey explores people’s perceptions of different public institutions in their country and the degree to which they trust their government. These perceptions range from day-to-day interactions with public institutions to decision making on complex policy issues. Initiated in 2021, the Trust Survey was carried out in 30 OECD countries in October and November 2023, with results representative of their respective adult populations. In Ireland, the data collection took place in September and October.
OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions 2024 Results - Country Notes: Ireland
Trust in public institutions
In 2023, 47% of Irish people reported high or moderately high trust in the national government, above the OECD average of 39%.
This number represents a decrease by 4 percentage points since 2021, compared to an average decrease of 2.4 percentage points among the eighteen OECD countries with available data.
Figure 1. Trust in national government, 2023
Share of population who indicate different levels of trust in their national government (on a 0-10 scale), 2023
Note: ‘High or moderately high’ corresponds to the aggregation of response options 6-10 to the question “On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is not at all and 10 is completely, how much do you trust the national government?”; neutral to option 5 and “low or no” to response options 0-4.
As in most OECD countries, people in Ireland place more trust in other people (83%), the police (70%), courts and the judicial system (69%) and the national civil service (66%) than in the national government (47%). Around half of the population reports high or moderately high trust in national parliament (49%) and news media (47%). Political parties (26%) and local government (41%) are the least trusted institutions in Ireland.
Figure 2. Share of population with high or moderately high trust in different public institutions, other people and media, 2021 and 2023
Note: ‘High or moderately high’ corresponds to the aggregation of response options 6-10 to the question “On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is not at all and 10 is completely, how much do you trust [institution]?”; neutral to option 5 and “low or no” to response options 0-4.
People in Ireland who feel that the current political system does not let people like them have a say tend to trust the national government 46 percentage points less than those who feel they have political voice. This trust gap is similar to the average 47 percentage points gap across OECD countries.
Men in Ireland on average are more likely to have high or moderately high trust in the national government (52%) than women do (41%), above the 7 percentage point average gender trust gap across OECD countries.
The Irish trust gap between those with lower and higher educational attainment is below the OECD average, while the trust gaps between those with and without financial concerns and between older and younger people are above the OECD average.
Figure 3. Share of population with high or moderately high trust in the national government by population group, 2023
Note: ‘High or moderately high’ corresponds to the aggregation of response options 6-10 to the question “On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is not at all and 10 is completely, how much do you trust the national government?”; neutral to option 5 and “low or no” to response options 0-4.
Perceptions of the public governance drivers of trust
Perceptions of day-to-day interactions with public institution
For more than half of the considered measures, the Irish people’s satisfaction with day-to-day interactions with public institutions is above the OECD average, but for nearly half, the opposite is true.
A large majority of Irish people (68%) with recent experience with the education system are satisfied with it, compared to 57% on average across the OECD. Moreover, 51% are satisfied with the administrative services they used, an important driver of trust in the civil service, compared to a 66% OECD average.
People in Ireland find it more likely than the OECD average that their application for government benefits would be treated fairly: 74% of people in Ireland find this likely, compared to the OECD average of 52%.
In contrast, only 20% of Irish people expect that public sector adopts innovation to improve services, lower than the OECD average of 39%.
Figure 4. Perceptions of day-to-day interactions between the population and public institutions
Share of population who are satisfied with public services or find a positive action in the respective situation likely, OECD and Ireland, 2023
Note: The figure presents the unweighted OECD averages and values for Ireland of the share of respondents who choose a response of 6-10 on the 0-10 scale for the above questions. Satisfaction with public services is restricted to recent service users.
Perceptions on decision making on complex policy issues
Ireland performs better than the OECD average on some measures of decision-making on complex policy issues, but worse on others. However, in Ireland and across the OECD, a lower share of people have positive perceptions regarding aspects of complex decision-making than regarding day-to-day interactions with public institutions.
Many people in Ireland (60%) find it likely that government is ready to protect lives in an emergency, compared to 53% on average across OECD countries.
A majority of the Irish (54%) expect the government explain how a major reform would impact on people, a share that is 15 percentage points higher than the average across OECD countries (39%).
36% of people in Ireland believe that the political system allows people like them to have a say in what government does. This important driver of trust in the national government is 6 percentage points higher than on average across OECD countries (30%).
In contrast, only 24% of people in Ireland find it likely that government balances interests of current and future generations, lower than the average across OECD countries (37%).
Figure 5. Perceptions of government decision making on complex policy issues
Share of population who are confident in or find a positive action in the respective situation likely, OECD and Ireland, 2023
Note: The figure presents the unweighted OECD averages and values for Ireland of the share of respondents who choose a response of 6-10 on the 0-10 scale for the above questions.
For more information see oe.cd/trust
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Member countries of the OECD.
This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.