Farming and scientific research are the two most trusted sectors in Australia, followed closely by the medical sector, according to new research from strategic insights business Pollinate.
The research, from Pollinate’s new The Australia Pulse study, reveals how Australians’ trust in sectors has shifted over the past two years.
Farming was in third place last year and now sits at the top in 2023. The medical sector was the second most trusted sector in 2022 and is now ranked third behind scientific research, which slipped from first to second place over the past year.
Pollinate research director, Kirsty Bloore, said: “The lesson here for brands and businesses is to understand where they currently sit with the public trust and identify how they can address their audiences needs more clearly before the public loses trust altogether in some sectors.”
Howard Parry-Husbands & Kirsty Bloore
Pollinate’s research shows the not-for-profit sector remained steady in fourth place over the past two years, which was the same for public education, which remained in fifth place.
The Federal Government has declined on the trust scale, going from 10th place in 2022 to out of the top 10 completely this year. Similarly, State and Territory governments slipped from eighth place in 2022 to out of the top 10 this year.
The telecommunications sector did not make the top 10 last year, likely as a result of the Optus data breach in September 2022. Telecommunications sits at #10 this year, although the research was conducted before the recent Optus network outage.
Pollinate chief executive officer, Howard Parry-Husbands, said: “Our The Australia Pulse research clearly shows the most trusted sectors like farming, scientific research and medical are the ones that are focused on others, while the least trusted – property development and finance – are more focused on themselves.
“With the issues of cost of living, rental crisis and the economy being top of mind for many Australians, people are losing trust in sectors that prioritise their own financial gain. They also are trusting governments less and less.
The research was conducted in August this year and covered 1,000 people aged 14 to 64 across Australia. The sample was representative of the general Australian population.
Pollinate is part of the fast-growing independent marketing business, The Influence Group, which also owns Social Soup, the largest influencer marketing business in Australia and New Zealand.
