Trust in institutions

Level of trust in selected institutions in Scotland and the rest of the UK

Trust in Institutions (2018)

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The population of Scotland reports modest levels of trust in institutions.  The highest level of trust is reported for the Scottish Government and the lowest for UK government.  There are slightly lower levels of trust in the UK government and local councils in West of Scotland compared to the rest of Scotland.

Notes on the data presented

Every year since 1999, 1,200 - 1,500 people have been asked to take part in the Scottish Social Attitudes survey on the basis of random probability sampling. Used by the Government, journalists, opinion formers and academics, Scottish Social Attitudes is the gold standard survey series measuring and tracking changes in people's social, political and moral attitudes in Scotland. Further details can be found on the NatCen website.

The West of Scotland is classified as Glasgow city, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire. The data which derives from the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey has a sample size of 345 for the West of Scotland. 

Indicator links   

Indicator Linkage


See the Social capital domain for related information. 


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