Jordanians' trust in government jumps to 49%: Study
13/09/2026 | 18:08:32
Amman, Sept. 13 (Petra) - Jordanians' trust in their government reached 49 percent, up from 39 percent in 2023 and surpassing the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 40 percent, according to a Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF) new policy paper.
The paper compared data from the Arab Barometers Wave IX survey (2026) with findings from the OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions (2026).
The findings highlight that security and rule-of-law institutions command the highest confidence among Jordanians, with trust in the Jordan Armed Forces - Arab Army (JAF) standing at 96 percent.
Public trust in the Jordanian government rose to 49 percent, up from 39 percent in the 2023 Arab Barometer survey, topping the OECD average of 40 percent.
At 49 percent, Jordanians' public trust equals that of Finland and surpasses major Western nations, including Germany with 35 percent, the United Kingdom with 33 percent, Greece with 24 percent, and France with 22 percent, amid a global trend of low public confidence in governments.
Differing national priorities also emerged, with 59 percent of Jordanians citing economic conditions and job shortages as their primary concern, whereas OECD countries prioritized curbing inflation, at an average of 51.9 percent.
The JSF added that public trust is "essential" for effective governance, policy execution, and reform.
To sustain high trust, the forum recommended that institutions focus on the five OECD pillars: reliability, responsiveness, openness, fairness, and integrity.
//Petra// HA