For a long time, many people believed that trust followed fame. Big brands paid popular online creators to promote their products. Politicians hired experts to manage their social media. News websites tried to get as many clicks as possible. The idea was simple — if many people follow you, many people will trust you.
But something is changing.
The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer is a large global study about trust. It asked nearly 34,000 people in 28 countries about who they trust and why. The results show a clear and important shift: people are moving away from big, faraway institutions and famous online figures. Instead, they are starting to trust the people they see every day — their neighbors, their coworkers, their friends, and their family.
In simple words: we are trusting closer. And that changes everything.
What the Numbers Tell Us
The study asked people: after the big events of the last five years — like the pandemic, rising prices, and political changes — who do you trust more now, and who do you trust less?
The answers were clear.
People said they trust national government leaders less (a drop of 16 points). They trust big news organizations less (a drop of 11 points). They trust foreign business leaders less (a drop of 6 points).
But they trust their neighbors, family, and friends more (a gain of 11 points). They trust their coworkers more (a gain of 11 points). They even trust the boss at their own job more (a gain of 9 points).
This is a very important finding. The people we are starting to trust more are not famous. They do not have millions of followers. But they know our names. They live near us. They understand our daily lives.
Why Online Influencers Are Not Enough Anymore
Online influencers still have power. The study found that when a lifestyle influencer recommends a brand, about 62% of their followers would trust or think about trusting that brand. That is still a strong effect.
But there is an important word here: trusted. People only follow an influencer's recommendation if they already trust that influencer. And real trust is becoming harder to build online.
Here is why. The study found that 7 out of 10 people around the world say they find it difficult to trust someone who is different from them — someone with different values, different ideas, or a different background. This number is very high.
In a world where people feel divided and cautious, even the most popular online creator struggles to feel truly close to their audience. Watching someone on a screen is not the same as knowing them in real life.
Your neighbor, on the other hand, is already part of your life. They shop at the same stores. They worry about the same things. They live in the same community. Their trustworthiness does not come from how many followers they have. It comes from simply being there, every day.
The People We Trust Most
So, who are the most trusted people in the world right now?
According to the study, scientists are trusted by 76% of people globally. Teachers are trusted by 73%. These are not celebrities or influencers. They are people who work hard, help others, and stay in their communities over a long time.
This tells us something very important: trust is built slowly, through actions, not through posts or videos. When someone helps you, shows up for you, and is honest with you over many years, you trust them. No amount of followers can replace that.
This also matters for businesses. The study found that 48% of people say they would trust a foreign company more if it invested in long-term projects in their local community. Another 46% said they would trust it more if it hired people from their local area. Quick donations or one-time help ranked much lower.
People can tell the difference between a company that truly cares and one that is only trying to look good.
There Is Hope in This Change
This shift toward local trust is partly driven by worry and fear. The study found that 65% of people are afraid that other countries are spreading false information to create division. And 67% of workers are afraid of losing their jobs because of economic problems.
These are real and serious fears.
But the way people are responding — by turning to the people and places they know best — is also very human and very healthy. When the world feels big, fast, and confusing, it makes sense to hold on to what is real and close.
This is not giving up. It is finding solid ground.
For businesses, organizations, and even individuals, the message is clear. Build real relationships in real communities. Be present, not just online. Listen more than you speak. Help people not because it looks good, but because you genuinely belong to the same community they do.
A New Kind of Influence
The age of the influencer taught us that trust could be shared with millions of people through a screen. But the lesson we are learning now is older and perhaps more powerful: the deepest trust has always been built face to face, between people who share the same world.
Your neighbor is not a content creator. They do not have a strategy or a brand deal. But in a world where it is hard to know who to believe, they might be the most trustworthy person in your life.
That is not something to worry about. That is something to build on.
Saudi Arabia: A Country That Shows What Trust Can Look Like
While many countries are struggling with low trust and growing fear, Saudi Arabia stands out in the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer as a place where something different is happening — and it offers a useful example for the rest of the world.
Saudi Arabia has one of the highest trust scores of all 28 countries studied. Its overall Trust Index score is 73 out of 100, placing it firmly in the "trust" zone. This means that, on average, Saudi people trust their government, businesses, media, and NGOs more than people in most other countries do.
But what makes Saudi Arabia's story especially interesting is not just the numbers — it is what those numbers suggest about community, connection, and the future.
Trust in institutions is very strong. Saudi Arabia's government is trusted by 89% of its people — the highest government trust score of any country in the entire study. Its businesses are trusted by 80%, and its employers by 86%. These are not just high numbers. They show that people in Saudi Arabia feel that the institutions around them are working for them, not against them.
This matters because, as we have seen globally, trust in institutions is falling almost everywhere. Saudi Arabia is one of the few places where that trust is holding — and even growing.
The next generation question is also important. The study asked people: do you think life will be better or worse for the next generation? Globally, only 32% of people said better. That is a very low and worrying number.
In Saudi Arabia, however, 65% of people believe the next generation will be better off — and this number grew by 15 points in just one year. That is the biggest increase of any country in the study. It shows a society that is not just surviving difficult global times, but genuinely looking forward with hope.
What can we learn from this? Saudi Arabia's high trust scores do not come from nowhere. They reflect a society where community bonds are strong, where people feel connected to their families and neighborhoods, and where there is a shared sense of direction and purpose. These are exactly the qualities that the global trust data says people are now searching for everywhere.
In a world turning toward local trust — toward neighbors, coworkers, and community — Saudi Arabia is already living some of those values at a national scale. That is a strength worth recognizing, and a model worth studying.
A New Kind of Influence
The age of the influencer taught us that trust could be shared with millions of people through a screen. But the lesson we are learning now is older and perhaps more powerful: the deepest trust has always been built face to face, between people who share the same world.
Your neighbor is not a content creator. They do not have a strategy or a brand deal. But in a world where it is hard to know who to believe, they might be the most trustworthy person in your life.
That is not something to worry about. That is something to build on.
