Advertising executives are the least trusted profession in Australia, according to a poll by Ipsos.
Australians rate ad executives at a low 8%, slightly below the global average (13%).
In line with the rest of the world (67%), Australia sees politicians in general as the most untrustworthy profession (64%).
The Ipsos Global Trust in Professions survey shows doctors are considered the most trustworthy profession in the Australia.
Doctors gained a 69% trustworthy rating, followed by scientists (62%), teachers (60%), armed forces (58%) and the police (56%).
The professions most likely to be considered untrustworthy by Australians: politicians (64%), government ministers (55%), advertising executives (55%), Bankers (52%) and Clergy/Priests (42%).
David Elliott, Director, Ipsos Australia Social Research Institute, says many have said we are losing faith in experts.
"This study shows that in fact, scientists are held in high esteem both here and in Australia," he says.
“The high levels of trust placed in many professions of crucial importance to our society are encouraging as they indicate that we don’t think society is completely broken.
"We still have a lot of trust in many important professions, like doctors, teachers, the armed forces and the police. What is more concerning for us as a society are the low levels of trust in politicians, government ministers, bankers, journalists,
clergy/priests and business leaders."
The survey results for Australia:
Scientists are the most trusted globally. Six in ten of the global public rate scientists as trustworthy and just one in ten consider them untrustworthy.
The next most-trustworthy profession globally is doctors (56% trustworthy), followed by teachers (52%). Politicians are the least trusted group globally.
The survey, completed online by adults aged 16-74 in 22 countries, showed that while the most trustworthy profession varies across the countries covered, there is greater agreement on the professions considered to be untrustworthy.
In all countries polled, politicians are seen as the most untrustworthy profession. Globally, two thirds of the public consider politicians generally to be untrustworthy (67%) and almost six in ten say the same about government ministers (57%).
Australia is one of only nine countries with a positive score on the Global Trustworthiness Index.
The Index looks at the net trust score (the difference between the proportion considering a profession trustworthy and the proportion considering a profession untrustworthy).
A positive index score means most of the professions listed have net positive scores – so more people consider them to be trustworthy rather than untrustworthy.
Here's how Australia ranks globally:
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