The Earth for All 2026 Survey

Rebuild trust: rigged economies, fractured societies and the case for change

People across the G20 want their economies transformed. They no longer trust their governments to do it.

What we asked

The Global Commons Survey (2021) and Earth for All Survey (2024) established that most people in most large economies support planetary stewardship and economic system change. Yet action has not followed. This third wave asks why, focusing on social tension and social cohesion.

We measured how citizens see the fairness of their economy, how divided they believe their society has become, how far they trust the state to act for the long term and on what terms they will support large-scale change. The results are compiled in a new report co-authored by Kate Pickett and Owen Gaffney, Rebuild Trust: Rigged economies, fractured societies and the case for change.

What we learned

Societies are remarkably united in their diagnosis of what is wrong with the economy — and no longer trusting anyone to fix it.

The system is seen as rigged almost everywhere.
70% say there is too much economic inequality. 65% say the system is rigged to benefit the rich and powerful. 69% want major changes to the economic system, against just 8% who disagree.
Societies feel themselves coming apart.
Two-thirds (67%) say their country is more divided than a decade ago, citing serious tension between political parties (71%), income groups (63%), immigrants and the native-born (62%) and the climate-concerned and the sceptical (53%)
Trust in government to act for the long term has collapsed.
Only 31% believe their government will make decisions that benefit the majority of people twenty or thirty years from now.

Click the arrows to explore the data

The mandate for change is powerful. The trust to deliver it is not.

Where a public wants radical change and mainstream politics does not offer it, that space is filled by whoever promises change first, with or without democratic safeguards. The alternative is a new social contract that takes the scale of change people are asking for seriously.

Methodology

The survey was conducted by Ipsos across G20 countries plus Sweden. China and Saudi Arabia were excluded owing to sensitivities around questions of a political nature; Russia was excluded because of the war in Ukraine. The 17 countries surveyed together account for 58% of global GDP, 38% of the world’s population and 37% of global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and industry.

Uncovering global attitudes to systems change

Since 2021, Earth4All and partners have worked with Ipsos UK to survey global attitudes to some of the most pressing issues of our time, from the economy to the state of nature and trust in government.

The programme now runs to three waves: the Global Commons Survey in 2021, the Earth for All Survey and Global Commons Survey in 2024 and this third wave in 2026.

Political debate frequently treats ambitious economic and environmental action as something the public will not tolerate. Across three surveys, we have found the opposite. Understanding what people actually want — and what stands in the way of them getting it — is the starting point for change.

Earth for All and Global Commons Surveys 2024

In 2024, we released two waves of survey data in partnership with the Global Commons Alliance: the Earth for All Survey, focusing on economic systems change, and the Global Commons Survey, unpacking attitudes to planetary stewardship.

Global Commons Survey 2021

Look back at data from the very first Global Commons Survey, commissioned by the Global Commons Alliance with support
from Earth4All and FAIRTRANS in 2021.

FAQ

What is the Earth for All Survey 2026?

The Earth for All Survey 2026 is the third in a series of surveys commissioned by Earth4All exploring public attitudes to economy, environment, politics and society. In the 2026 survey, Ipsos ran the survey for Earth4All, questioning 13,516 adults across 17 G20 economies plus Sweden between 20 February and 6 March 2026. The survey asks people how they see economic inequality, government trust, social division and support for climate action.

Which countries were included in the Earth for All Survey 2026?

Ipsos surveyed people in 17 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Türkiye and the United States. That covers the G20 minus China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, plus Sweden. Together these countries hold 58% of global GDP, 38% of the world's population and 37% of global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and industry. Researchers left out China and Saudi Arabia because of political sensitivities around the survey questions, and Russia because of the war in Ukraine.

What are the main findings of the Earth for All Survey 2026?

Three findings stand out. People overwhelmingly want their economic system to change: 70% say there's too much inequality, and 65% say the system favours the rich and powerful. Societies feel like they're pulling apart, with two in three people saying their country is more divided than a decade ago. And trust has collapsed: only 31% of people believe their government will act in the interest of ordinary people 20 or 30 years from now.

Do most people think the economic system is rigged in favour of the rich?

Yes. Across the 17 countries, 65% agree the economic system favours the rich and powerful, against just 12% who disagree. Agreement runs highest in South Africa (76%), Indonesia (74%) and Brazil (71%), and even the lowest-scoring countries, Japan (55%), Canada (56%) and Sweden (57%), still show a clear majority agreeing.

How many people worry about affording their basic needs in 2026?

Four in ten people (41%) worry they won't have enough money to cover their basic needs over the next year. That worry runs highest in Argentina (68%), Brazil (66%), Mexico (53%) and Türkiye (52%), and it reaches deep into wealthy countries too: 37% in Germany, 35% in the United States and 31% in Sweden. Within every country, people on lower incomes worry more: 49% of lower income respondents fear they can't cover basic needs, against 37% of higher income respondents.

Which countries are most willing to pay more to support climate action?

India (71%), Indonesia (68%) and South Africa (64%) show the strongest support for government climate action, even at the cost of higher prices. Support runs weakest in Japan (36%), Canada (44%), Germany (46%), France (47%) and Great Britain (50%), the wealthy democracies best placed to absorb the cost.

Which countries have least trust in their government to make long-term decisions that benefit the majority?

France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and Italy show the least trust that government will act for the long-term good of the majority. Just 13% of people in France trust their government this way, the lowest score of all 17 countries, followed by Germany, Great Britain and Japan at 19% each and Italy at 22%. All five are established, wealthy democracies.

Which countries most trust their government to make long-term decisions that benefit the majority?

India shows the highest trust that government will act in the long-term interest of most people, at 59%, followed by Indonesia (40%), Türkiye (39%) and Argentina (39%). All four are middle-income countries, where the report suggests visible recent gains in living standards may support this trust.

Why is trust in government lowest in wealthy, established democracies?

The report doesn't settle on a single cause, but it offers two likely explanations. In wealthy democracies, decades of unmet promises and stalled progress may have worn trust down, leaving many people feeling left behind. It also points out that a free press in liberal democracies openly and constantly criticises government, which can leave citizens with an impression of incompetence even where those governments perform well compared with more authoritarian regimes.

Do people think their country is more divided than it was 10 years ago?

Yes. Two in three people (67%) say their country feels more divided than a decade ago, and only 10% disagree. That sense of division runs sharpest in wealthy, long-established democracies: France (82%), Great Britain (80%), Germany (79%) and Sweden (78%) post the highest figures, while Japan (46%) posts the lowest.

What divides people most within their own society in 2026?

Political affiliation causes the sharpest divide: 71% of people globally see serious friction between supporters of different political parties. Income differences (63%), immigration status (62%) and climate views (53%) follow behind. Political friction runs most intense in France (85%), Argentina (81%) and the United States (79%), and lowest in Japan (36%).

Do people feel they're treated with respect and dignity?

Most don't. Only 41% agree that people like them get treated with respect and dignity, while 26% disagree. Agreement runs lowest in Japan (20%), South Korea (29%) and France (32%), and highest in India (62%), Sweden (58%) and Australia (50%). The gap by social status runs stark: just 21% of people who place themselves low on the social ladder feel respected, against 62% of those who place themselves high.

Do people still support democracy in 2026?

Broadly, yes, though support has weakened. 68% agree that democracy, with leaders chosen in free and fair elections, is the best way to govern their country, down from 81% across comparable countries in 2024. Support runs highest in Great Britain (76%), Sweden (74%) and Australia (73%), and lowest in Japan (50%).

How many people would prefer a strong leader over parliament and elections?

Four in ten people (40%) surveyed in 2026 agree their country would be better off with a strong leader who doesn't have to deal with parliament or elections. Support runs highest in Indonesia (77%), India (61%), South Africa (53%) and Brazil (51%), and lowest in Sweden (21%), Canada (25%) and the United States (26%).

Do people want major changes to their economic system?

Yes, strongly. 69% agree major changes to the economic system are needed to improve life for most people, against just 8% who disagree. Agreement runs highest in Indonesia and Argentina (78% each), and South Africa and France (77% each), and lowest in Japan (53%) and the United States (61%).

How does trust in government in 2026 compare with 2024?

Trust has fallen in most countries since the last survey in 2024. Support for democracy as the best system of government dropped from 81% to 68% across comparable countries. At country level, trust in long-term government decisions fell in France (19% to 13%), Germany (26% to 19%) and the United States (down 11 points to 26%), while Canada and South Korea saw small gains.

Who conducted the Earth for All Survey 2026, and who published it?

Ipsos conducted the survey for Earth4All, an initiative founded by the Club of Rome together with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the BI Norwegian Business School. Owen Gaffney and Kate Pickett authored the report, Rebuild Trust: Rigged economies, fractured societies and the case for change (2026).

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