One in Three Worldwide Lack Confidence in NGOs

As part of its first-ever truly global study of public attitudes on science and health, Gallup and Wellcome asked people worldwide about their confidence in charitable and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). A slim majority of the world's adults (52%) express confidence in the charitable organizations and NGOs in their respective countries. However, 32% tell Gallup they do not have confidence in such organizations, many of whom deliver vital services in the countries where they operate.

	Yes	No
	%	%
World	52	32
Australia/New Zealand	61	29
Northern America	60	26
Northern Europe	60	30
East Asia	59	25
Eastern Africa	58	29
Western Africa	55	27
Central Asia	55	25
Southeast Asia	51	32
South Asia	50	32
South America	49	40
Middle East	48	38
Central Africa	47	33
North Africa	47	37
Southern Europe	47	43
Southern Africa	46	38
Western Europe	46	37
Central America and Mexico	37	53
Eastern Europe	37	46
Wellcome Global Monitor

The regional figures mask some important differences across countries. (For the full list of rankings, see the end of the article.)

Countries where people express the highest confidence in charities and NGOs span a range of geographies and levels of economic development, including Malta (79%), Rwanda (76%) and the Philippines (74%).

	Yes	No	Don't know
	%	%	%
Top 10
Malta	79	11	10
Rwanda	76	9	15
Iceland	75	12	13
Mauritius	75	16	9
Philippines	74	25	2
Uzbekistan	74	14	13
New Zealand	70	20	10
United Arab Emirates	70	10	20
Kosovo	70	23	7
Sierra Leone	69	21	10
Bottom 10
Dominican Republic	32	51	16
Ecuador	32	51	16
Germany	31	42	24
South Korea	31	60	9
Laos	29	43	27
Russia	29	54	16
Peru	29	58	12
Colombia	28	54	17
Greece	25	60	15
Bulgaria	24	49	26
Wellcome Global Monitor

The countries with the highest percentage of the population lacking confidence also span the globe, with six in 10 in Greece, South Korea and Mexico expressing that view.

Confidence Varies Little by Economic Development

Confidence in charitable and nongovernmental organizations varies little by World Bank-defined levels of economic development. People living in low-income countries express slightly more confidence (57%) in such organizations than both the global average and those living in high-income countries (52%).

	Yes	No	Don't know
	%	%	%
Total	52	32	15
Low income	57	29	14
Lower middle income	51	32	16
Upper middle income	53	31	15
High income	52	34	13
Wellcome Global Monitor

Implications

In many countries, charitable organizations and NGOs play a key role in society by providing goods, services or information. The trust that people have in these organizations can either enhance or inhibit the organizations' effectiveness and their ability to generate public goods. As such, charities and NGOs need to keep this trust in mind as it directly affects the spheres and activities they can undertake within societies.

In addition to these views on charitable organizations and NGOs, the Wellcome Global Monitor also provides new data and insights from around the globe on the public's trust in science, trust in sources of information about public health, trust in vaccines and more.

	Yes	No	Don't know
	%	%	%
Malta	79	11	10
Rwanda	76	9	15
Mauritius	75	16	9
Iceland	75	12	13
Philippines	74	25	2
Uzbekistan	74	14	13
Kosovo	70	23	7
New Zealand	70	20	10
United Arab Emirates	70	10	20
Liberia	69	23	7
Sierra Leone	69	21	10
Canada	68	21	11
Gambia	68	19	13
Niger	68	15	17
Bangladesh	66	29	6
Kenya	66	29	5
Turkmenistan	66	18	16
Afghanistan	65	33	2
Malawi	65	28	7
Yemen	65	26	10
Ghana	64	28	8
Luxembourg	64	21	16
Zimbabwe	63	26	11
Burundi	63	21	16
Costa Rica	62	33	5
United Kingdom	62	30	8
Eswatini	62	23	15
China	62	22	16
Denmark	61	36	3
Brazil	61	34	5
France	61	31	8
Nepal	61	24	15
Madagascar	60	27	12
United States	60	27	13
Northern Cyprus	60	25	15
Saudi Arabia	60	20	20
El Salvador	59	34	6
Australia	59	31	9
Norway	59	19	22
Finland	58	31	11
Switzerland	58	30	12
Guinea	58	24	16
Cambodia	58	20	22
Poland	57	33	10
Zambia	57	32	11
Mali	57	21	22
Uganda	56	36	8
Ethiopia	56	27	17
Nigeria	56	26	18
Italy	55	40	5
Cyprus	55	32	13
Botswana	55	29	16
Singapore	55	21	24
Belgium	54	31	14
Vietnam	54	31	15
Lebanon	53	40	7
Croatia	53	36	11
Ireland	53	35	11
Sweden	53	33	13
Paraguay	53	31	16
Latvia	53	25	21
Netherlands	52	46	2
Haiti	52	43	5
Benin	52	35	13
Mozambique	52	31	16
Malaysia	52	17	31
Slovenia	51	48	1
Libya	51	39	10
Tanzania	51	35	14
Egypt	51	31	17
Belarus	51	28	21
Kuwait	51	20	29
Wellcome Global Monitor

	Yes	No	Don't know
	%	%	%
Albania	50	44	6
Bosnia and Herzegovina	50	39	11
Iran	50	31	18
Slovakia	49	43	8
Chile	49	35	16
Chad	49	34	16
Lithuania	49	34	16
India	49	31	19
Israel	48	41	9
Argentina	48	37	15
Czech Republic	48	36	14
Sri Lanka	48	35	16
Cameroon	48	28	24
Burkina Faso	48	26	26
Iraq	47	48	5
Honduras	47	40	13
Hungary	47	40	13
Uruguay	47	30	22
Estonia	47	25	27
Nicaragua	46	42	12
Indonesia	46	38	16
South Africa	46	38	16
Kyrgyzstan	45	42	13
Morocco	45	36	19
Moldova	45	32	22
Spain	44	47	9
Comoros	44	45	10
Romania	44	42	13
Japan	44	39	17
Georgia	44	37	19
Tajikistan	44	27	28
Mongolia	43	43	14
Myanmar	43	42	15
Tunisia	42	46	11
Namibia	42	41	16
Austria	42	31	26
Kazakhstan	42	30	28
Portugal	41	32	26
Palestinian Territories	40	47	13
Armenia	40	46	14
Taiwan	40	41	18
Senegal	40	31	28
Algeria	39	48	12
Jordan	39	48	13
Gabon	39	46	15
Turkey	38	52	10
Congo Brazzaville	38	44	17
Pakistan	38	44	17
Ivory Coast	38	36	26
Togo	38	36	26
Bolivia	37	50	12
Montenegro	37	40	18
Venezuela	36	51	13
Guatemala	36	42	22
Ukraine	36	42	21
Azerbaijan	36	34	30
Thailand	36	30	33
Panama	35	50	15
Serbia	35	50	15
Macedonia	34	49	16
Mexico	33	59	7
Mauritania	33	40	26
Dominican Republic	32	51	16
Ecuador	32	51	16
South Korea	31	60	9
Germany	31	42	24
Peru	29	58	12
Russia	29	54	16
Laos	29	43	27
Colombia	28	54	17
Greece	25	60	15
Bulgaria	24	49	26
Wellcome Global Monitor

For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Wellcome Global Monitor works.