Trust in science falls as COVID-era confidence fades, global survey finds

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivers remarks while President Donald Trump listens during a news conference to announce a link between autism and childhood vaccines and the use of popular pain medication Tylenol for pregnant women and children, claims which are not backed by decades of science, at the White House in Washington in September last year. | REUTERS

Oct 11, 2026

The COVID-era surge in public trust in science has largely faded, with the steepest drop among people struggling financially, according to one of the largest global surveys of attitudes toward science.

Across countries surveyed before, during and after the pandemic, 72% of people expressed at least some trust in science in 2025, down from 80% in 2020 and 77% in 2018. Strong trust in scientists also dropped below its pre-pandemic level, according to the Wellcome Global Monitor, which surveyed more than 140,000 adults worldwide.

The retreat has potentially far-reaching consequences for public health as vaccination rates decline and preventable diseases resurge. The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in three decades, with almost 3,900 cases this year, while childhood vaccination rates have fallen below levels needed to prevent outbreaks in many communities. 

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