Engineers have emerged as one of Britain’s most trusted professions, second only to nurses, according to the latest Ipsos Veracity Index. An impressive 90% of people trust engineers to be truthful, placing them ahead of doctors (88%) and just behind nurses, who lead with 94%. This marks a rise from fourth place in 2023 when engineers had a trust rating of 85%.
The Veracity Index, which has monitored trust in key professions since the 1980s, introduced engineering to its list only six years ago, and the profession has consistently ranked highly since. For example, engineers achieved an excellent trust score of 89% back in 2020, showcasing their enduring reputation for honesty and reliability.
Interestingly, other professions traditionally lower in public trust are seeing improvements. For instance, trust in business leaders is now at 36%, matching its previous peak in 2017. Similarly, bankers have reached their joint-highest trust level (44%) since being added to the Index in 2011. Estate agents have also seen a boost, with 37% of respondents expressing trust in them, their highest figure since 2014.
Meanwhile, politicians continue to rank as the least trusted profession in Britain, with only 11% of people believing they tell the truth. Government ministers fare slightly better at 15%, reflecting a modest five-point improvement on last year. Advertising executives (18%) and journalists (27%) remain among the bottom five professions, alongside private residential landlords, whose trust level increased slightly to 35%.
For further insights, visit the Ipsos website.