Trust in science falls from COVID-era high, Wellcome global survey finds

The 2025 Wellcome Global Monitor survey of over 140,000 adults shows that global trust in science fell to 72%, down from 80% during the pandemic in 2020. Despite this decline, 52% of Americans maintain high trust in science compared to 26% globally. However, the U.S. faces significant demographic divides: religious, rural, and non-college-educated Americans lag behind secular and college-educated peers, whose surging enthusiasm drives national polarization.

Global trust in science decline

• ▪The Wellcome Global Monitor survey of over 140,000 adults across 140 countries found that global trust in science fell to 72% in 2025, down from 80% in 2020 and 77% in 2018
• ▪The Wellcome Global Monitor survey found that the share of people globally who agree that science benefits most people in their society dropped from 42% in 2018 to 37% in 2025

U.S. international science trust comparison

• ▪Between 2018 and 2025, the share of Americans who agree that science benefits most people in their society rose from 48% to 57%
• ▪The 2025 Wellcome Global Monitor survey revealed that 52% of Americans report having 'a lot' of trust in science, compared to a global average of 26%
• ▪In the Wellcome Global Monitor survey, 45% of Americans reported wanting recommended vaccines right away, compared to 28% of Germans, while 13% of Americans and 8% of Germans reported being completely anti-vaccine

American demographic science trust gaps

• ▪The 2025 Wellcome Global Monitor survey showed that 47% of Americans without four-year degrees believe science benefits most people, compared to 71% of college graduates
• ▪Between 2018 and 2025, religious Americans believing science benefits society increased by 4 percentage points to 50%, while non-college graduates believing the same increased by 3 percentage points
• ▪In high-income nations, the 2025 Wellcome Global Monitor survey showed a 5 percentage point gap between religious and non-religious people regarding whether science benefits society, compared to a 24 percentage point gap in the U.S.

College-educated secular enthusiasm growth

• ▪Analysis of the 2025 Wellcome Global Monitor survey indicates that the growing U.S. demographic divide over science stems from increasing enthusiasm among highly educated and secular citizens rather than declining trust among religious or non-college educated groups
• ▪Between 2018 and 2025, belief that science benefits society grew by 13 percentage points among college-educated Americans and 15 percentage points among secular Americans

Healthcare access disparities

• ▪The 2025 Wellcome Global Monitor survey found that 40% of Americans report a lot of confidence in U.S. hospitals and health clinics, matching the rates in Portugal and Uruguay
• ▪Brian Castrucci stated that healthcare access disparities, such as rural residents traveling long distances for basic hospital care compared to city dwellers receiving university medical care, contribute to people feeling left behind by scientific progress

Political anti-science sentiment

• ▪Wellcome executive director Mark Henderson and de Beaumont Foundation CEO Brian Castrucci stated that scientists should improve everyday communication and engagement rather than lecturing the public or expecting blind trust
• ▪University at Buffalo associate professor Yotam Ophir stated that political party divisions over science became prominent during the Tea Party movement in the 2010s and widened during Donald Trump's presidency

Debatable claims

• ▪Political partisanship is the primary driver of declining trust in scientific institutions
• ▪Modern scientific advances disproportionately benefit highly educated and urban populations