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Malaysia has recorded a significant increase in public trust towards its primary institutions, with the Malaysia Trust Index rising to 71 points this year, compared to 66 points in 2025
This places the nation as the seventh most trusted market out of the 28 global markets surveyed in the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer.
The Edelman Trust Barometer is an annual global survey that measures public trust and credibility in four key societal institutions: business, government, media, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Published yearly by the global communications firm Edelman, it provides critical insights into how the public perceives leadership, information sources, and societal issues.
Despite the high overall score, the study highlights critical challenges of social polarisation and concerns over foreign-driven misinformation.
Edelman Malaysia chief executive officer Mazuin Zin said while Malaysia has established itself as one of the world's most trusted nations, the next challenge is extending that trust across diverse societal groups
She explained that current trust is largely concentrated within "bubbles" where individuals share similar values, information sources, and communities.
Mazuin warned that Malaysia cannot sustain these high trust levels if societal gaps continue to widen, emphasising that bridging these divides is essential for both social stability and continued national growth.
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Image via Phearak Chamrien/PexelsThe study shows that major institutions in Malaysia currently fall within the "trusted" category
Trust in the business sector stands at 76%, followed by the government and NGOs at 72% each, and the media at 65%. Among employees, trust in their specific employer is remarkably high at 82%.
However, the report also revealed a concerning trend towards an "insular trust mindset", with 65% of Malaysians reportedly hesitant or unwilling to trust those with different values, social views, cultural backgrounds, or information sources
Meanwhile, 87% of Malaysians believe that a lack of trust in those with differing views has led to people actively trying to undermine one another — the highest percentage recorded across all surveyed markets.
Additionally, only 37% of Malaysians seek out information from sources with differing political views at least once a week.
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Image via Omar Elsharawy/PexelsConcerns over misinformation remain a major threat to public trust, with 73% of Malaysians worried that foreign interests are intentionally polluting the local media landscape with false information to trigger domestic division
This figure is the second highest globally, following only the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
From an economic perspective, there is a visible decline in optimism regarding future generations
Only 39% of Malaysians believe the next generation will be better off than they are today, a drop of seven percentage points compared to the previous year.
Concerns regarding economic recession and job security among workers have also reached peak levels globally.
The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer for Malaysia was based on a survey conducted between 23 October and 18 November 2025, involving over 1,200 respondents per country.
