Trust in government in Australia
Australia: Trust in government was 49.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
49.0%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
16th
of 47 countries
All-time high
62.5%
in 2010
All-time low
46.3%
in 2016
Years of data
7
2007–2024
Trust in government in Australia, 2007–2024
Source: OECD (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, trust in government in Australia stood at 49.0%.
The figure is up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trust in government in Australia peaked at 62.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 46.3%, in 2016.
Australia ranks 16th of 47 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Trust in government in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 53.0% | — |
| 2010 | 62.5% | +17.9% |
| 2013 | 47.0% | -24.8% |
| 2016 | 46.3% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 46.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 49.0% | +5.8% |
| 2024 | 49.0% | +0.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 49.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 42.8%, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Australia's 49.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 49.8%, 98% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.0% | 53.0% | 53.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 50.5% | 46.3% | 62.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 49.0% | 49.0% | 49.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 13 Belgium 50.5% compare
- 13 New Zealand 50.5% compare
- 15 Costa Rica 49.5% compare
- 17 Canada 47.5% compare
- 17 South Africa 47.5% compare
- 19 Croatia 46.5% compare
More social development data for Australia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 33,415 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trust in government in Australia?
- Trust in government in Australia was 49.0% in 2024, according to OECD (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest trust in government recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 62.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest trust in government recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.3% in 2016.
- How does Australia rank for trust in government?
- Australia ranks 16th out of 47 countries with data for 2024.
- Is trust in government rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Trust in government. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of respondents replying "yes" to the question "In this country, do you have confidence in national government, or not?"