A new Earth4All–Ipsos survey across the G20 finds a deep collapse of trust in governments, driven by lived experiences of inequality and a belief that systems are rigged for the rich and powerful.
Fewer than one-third expect leaders to act in citizens’ long-term interests, and majorities demand sweeping economic change to rebuild social cohesion and a shared future.
People across the G20 increasingly do not trust their governments. Many believe the governance system has been engineered to benefit the rich and powerful. At the core of this distrust is growing inequality. The “Earth for All Survey 2026,” conducted by Earth4All and Ipsos—an initiative by the Club of Rome, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Norwegian Business School—unravels what is widely perceived about the current governance system. The third such survey from Earth4All explores “social cohesion and social tension—important factors in building momentum for transformation.” The earlier surveys focused on global commons and planetary stewardship.
Inequality is no longer a perception but a mass experience. It turns out to be the most identified governance factor leading to a collapse of trust in respective governments, finds the survey titled “Rebuild Trust”. Conducted across G20, including India, the survey finds every seventh person saying there is too much inequality. Their dominant reason is a governance system "rigged to benefit the rich and powerful.”
Not even one-third of those surveyed think their government would make decisions for the benefit of people, even 20 or 30 years from now. They simply no longer believe that governments will act in the long-term interest of the people. The survey finds that the majority feel a major change is needed in the economy. Kate Pickett, professor for the public understanding of social sciences at the University of York, England, and co-author of the survey report, says, "People right across the income spectrum have arrived at the same diagnosis: the system is rigged and inequality has gone too far. The collapse in trust is deeply concerning: when people stop believing that their government will act in their interest long-term, it's corrosive to the sense of shared future that healthy societies depend on."
Indians seem to strongly support authoritarianism. Is this a result of growing up in a less equal system?
How does this distrust unfold? People still retain confidence in democracy but “increasi ngly contest it in practice,” the survey finds. While 68 per cent said it is the best way to govern, some 40 per cent said “their country would be better off with a strong leader unconstrained by parliament and elections”—a figure that rises above half in several upper-middle-income countries.
In India, people have a different confidence level in the government. Close to 60 per cent of those surveyed said they have high trust in government, and the same level of trust in government's long-term beneficial actions. Though this is a significant drop from the 2024 level—75 per cent—the level of confidence is still higher than the global average.
But Indians seem to strongly support authoritarianism. Sixty-one per cent of those surveyed said “India would be better off having a strong leader who does not have to bother with parliament and elections.” This is much higher than the global average.
Is this a result of people’s sentiment of growing up in a less equal governance system? Going by the survey, two-thirds of people felt there was too much inequality, which is less than the global average. This has to be read in the context of India being a lower-middle-income country. Also, the survey finds that 40 per cent of Indians were “worried about not having enough money to cover basic needs over the next 12 months.” But like all other countries, Indians also believe that the system has been “rigged to benefit the wealthy.” Surprisingly, low-income households “agree less that the system is rigged, compared to high-income households.”
The survey is a reiteration of what mars the current time, probably at an inflection point. Countries are divided; political polarisation further deepens the chasm; and inequality making people losing faith in the system that they elect. As the survey says, “A society that feels itself coming apart.”