One of my favorite documents for understanding the state of the world and its future is the Edelman Trust Barometer, now in its 25th edition. The survey aims to understand why people hold the views they do and how personal attitudes interact to shape broader societal forces affecting commerce and culture.
Edelman reports: "The 2025 Trust Barometer has revealed a profound shift to acceptance of aggressive action, with political polarization and deepening fears giving rise to a widespread sense of grievance."
Here are the seven most significant insights from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer report:
Trust crisis with governments + electoral impact: Government trust levels remained largely stagnant globally, with only two countries showing significant trust improvements—Argentina and South Africa. Only five countries scored in the 70s—China, Indonesia, India, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia—with the United States and the United Kingdom mired in the 40s at 47 and 43 percent, respectively. Globally, the trust index remains at 56%—the same as in 2024—indicating elections are failing to restore institutional confidence.
Economic insecurity: Job security fears have intensified globally, with significant increases in concerns about globalization (+5-6%), financial pressures (+3%), and technology disruption (+2-5%). Over 60% of employees worry about international trade conflicts and recession impacts. Survey respondents indicated they are also more suspicious of the rise and use of artificial intelligence (AI). This calls for more action from businesses, such as implementing workforce reskilling and retraining necessary to keep people employable whose jobs are being eliminated or significantly altered by automation and AI.
Leadership credibility collapse: Trust in leaders has hit historic lows. 69% believe government leaders purposely mislead people (up 11 percentage points since 2021), alongside similar distrust of business leaders (68%) and journalists (70%). This represents an all-time high in leadership skepticism. Bottom line: If you're a leader, you ain't trusted.
Wealth + Trust inequality: A 13-point trust gap exists between the high-income (61%) and low-income (48%) populations. 67% believe wealthy individuals don't pay fair taxes, while 65% view wealthy people's selfishness as a source of societal problems. Bottom line: If you're wealthy, you ain't trusted.
Rising social volatility: Forty percent of survey respondents now view hostile activism as legitimate for driving change, and this sentiment reaches 53% among young adults (18-34). This indicates a growing willingness to embrace confrontational approaches to achieving social change. See the "Just Stop Oil" protestors.
Business leadership opportunity: The good news is that those reading this memo can make a difference. Businesses remain the most trusted institution (62%) and are uniquely positioned as competent and ethical. However, this trust advantage comes with expectations—majorities expect businesses to address affordability, climate change, and workforce training.
Grievance crisis: 61% of people globally hold moderate to high grievances against institutions and elites. This mindset correlates strongly with decreased trust in all institutions and increased zero-sum thinking about social progress. This high level of grievance represents a fundamental challenge to social cohesion.
These findings suggest a volatile social environment where traditional institutions struggle to maintain legitimacy and face increased demands for tangible economic security and social equity progress.
As I have said for years, business leaders have a unique opportunity and obligation to help address these challenges, given their relatively stronger trust position.
Business leaders are uniquely qualified to address the challenges facing us. With the wherewithal, access to funds, and global reach, they should embrace 2025 as the year to make a difference—be a force for good.
How CEOs navigate the waters of globalization and geopolitics will shape commerce and culture for the foreseeable future.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
