The key facts

  • Uzbekistan — 3rd place in the world in the share of people with high trust in science (63.8%)
  • 2025 survey: 140 countries, more than 140,000 respondents
  • Global trust in science fell from 80% in 2020 to 72% in 2025

Uzbekistan ranks among the top three countries in trust in science

Uzbekistan has taken third place in the world in terms of trust in science, Kun.uz reports, citing a studythat underpinned a Visual Capitalist infographic. The survey, conducted in 2025 across 140 countries, polled more than 140,000 people. For Uzbekistan, the figure given is 63.8% — the share of respondents who expressed a high degree of trust in science.

Who made the top ten and what the ranking shows

According to the survey results, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan ranked above major scientific centers such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Finland, Germany and Sweden also made the top ten. Russia was recorded in 67th place. It is important to understand: the ranking reflects not countries' scientific potential or the number of discoveries, but respondents' attitudes toward science. In some countries, the share of those expressing high trust did not even reach 10%. The researchers found no convincing evidence of a consistent link between trust in science and scientific literacy: no clear correlation was found with a country's average scientific literacy or with government spending on education, either.

Global context: trust is declining

According to Wellcome, in 2025, 72% of respondents worldwide said they trust science 'to some extent' or 'a great deal'. In 2020, this figure stood at 80% — meaning that over five years the overall level of trust fell by eight percentage points. This global figure combines two degrees of trust, whereas the 63.8% for Uzbekistan is the share of those who trust science highly specifically. In a discussion organized by the Harvard Global Health Institute, it was noted that distrust of science may be linked to social inequality, shortcomings in the work of institutions, the spread of misinformation and political polarization; in strengthening trust, an important role is played by clearly communicating scientific findings to the public and the reliable functioning of public institutions.