2025 Edelman Trust Barometer finds higher level of trust in business than nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), much-lower level of trust in NGOs among low-income than high-income.
According to the recently released 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, the percentage of U.S. respondents saying they trust nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) “to do what is right” declined two points from last year’s survey, from 52% to 50%. Americans’ trust in business, on the other hand, actually increased two points during the same period, from 53% to 55%.
Forty-two percent of those Americans in the lowest income quartile trusted NGOs, according to the 2025 survey, compared to 61% of those in the highest income quartile—a 19-point difference.
The online survey was conducted in 28 countries, with 1,150 respondents in each country.
This article first appeared in the Giving Review on February 14, 2025.
