The Edelman Trust Barometer is an annual global survey that measures public trust in major institutions — business, government, media, and NGOs — across dozens of countries and tens of thousands of respondents. Now in its 25th year, it tracks how trust rises or erodes over time and highlights the social, economic, and political forces shaping people’s confidence in leaders and institutions around the world.
The newly released 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer offers critical insights into how trust is shifting, why it matters, and what we can do about it.
According to this year’s findings, the world is retreating inward and this “insular trust mindset” impacts the workplace:
- 70% of people are now unwilling or hesitant to trust someone who differs from them in values, background, culture, or approach to social issues
- 42% say they would rather switch departments than report to a manager with different values
- 34% say that if their project team leader had different political beliefs than them, they would put less effort into helping them succeed
But, there is a hopeful path forward. While trust is decreasing overall, people trust those in their immediate circles — neighbors, colleagues, “my CEO,” and “my employer.”
For the first time, business is the only institution viewed as both ethical and competent. This gives employers a new mandate to be “trust brokers” who build trust among their teams by communicating clearly, facilitating dialogue across differences, and creating opportunities for employees to connect outside their usual circles and build lasting skills to navigate divides.
Trust Brokering:
What
Trust brokering is set of practices and behaviors that counters insularity by facilitating trust across difference.
How
Rather than trying to change people, trust brokering surfaces the common interests of insulated parties and translates their needs, goals, and realities for one another.
Who
A trust broker can be a person, organization, or institution trusted by each stakeholder group facing a common problem.
How Interfaith America’s Pluralism Framework Can Help
Interfaith America’s Pluralism Framework — respect for diverse identities, relationships across difference, and cooperation toward the common good — offers a practical antidote to the rise of insularity in the 2026 Trust Barometer.
“Trust brokering begins with acknowledgement and acceptance of differences,” – 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report
1. Respect lays the foundation for trust.
Insularity grows when people perceive difference as a threat; trust grows when people feel seen, heard, and respected. 49% of people say they trust someone who differs from them when that person has an open mind and doesn’t try to change them. Respect does not require agreement or uniformity; it requires acknowledging the rich reality of different life experiences and viewpoints. By intentionally cultivating respect for diverse identities, organizational leaders can help employees move from a defensive posture toward openness and curiosity.
2. Relationships broaden trust beyond the inner circle.
Trust grows most effectively through genuine, sustained interpersonal relationships. 74% of people say bringing employees into the workplace to interact with people who are different than them would be an effective strategy to facilitate trust building. By fostering structured, positive encounters across lines of difference — religious, political, cultural, or otherwise — organizations can expand trust beyond familiar silos and counteract insularity.
3. Cooperation is a proven avenue to trust-building.
35% say a business could earn their trust by encouraging people to cooperate on finding solutions without taking a side. Cooperation — working together on shared goals despite differences — helps build trust across diverse neighbors and colleagues. Workplace colleagues cooperate every day on shared projects. Many organizations also invite their diverse employees to volunteer together to support community causes like disaster relief or tutoring. When institutions champion cooperation, they demonstrate competence and integrity, addressing two of the core gaps identified in the Trust Barometer.
The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer findings are both a warning and an invitation. They remind us that rising insularity is not inevitable and that leaders have real power to widen circles of trust through everyday choices that emphasize respect, relationship building, and cooperation. By embracing this work with intention, leaders across sectors can help create environments where people are less isolated, more willing to engage across difference, and more confident in our shared future.
2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report Recommended Steps for Organizations to Build Trust:
Promote a shared identity and culture so that employees are reminded of what unites them rather than divides them
Build teams that will require people with different values to work together to succeed
Provide mandatory employee training for engaging in constructive dialogue amid conflict
Partner with unexpected organizations to initiate cross-cultural or cross-political conversations
Join us today!
Let’s build an interfaith America, where people of all beliefs work together for the common good.
