Two-thirds of Indonesians show insular trust mindset, Edelman finds

Indonesia continues to register relatively high levels of institutional trust globally, but new findings show that confidence is becoming increasingly selective and inward-looking, according to the 2026 Trust Barometer released by Edelman.

The report, titled “Trust amid insularity”, suggests that while trust in key institutions remains robust, Indonesians are increasingly reluctant to extend that trust across differences in values, background, and perspectives.

On average, 66% of Indonesians are hesitant or unwilling to trust someone who is different from them, signalling what the report describes as a widening “insular trust mindset”.

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Despite this, Indonesia maintains a Trust Index score of 73, placing it among higher-trust markets globally. Trust is led by employers (92% among employees), followed by business (80%), media (76%), government (68%), and NGOs (67%).

The report identifies four structural pressures reshaping how trust is formed and maintained in Indonesia.

Job security concerns are intensifying. 79% of employees worry about losing their job due to a looming recession, while 77% are concerned about the impact of trade and tariff conflicts on their companies.

While 56% of Indonesians believe the next generation will be better off, this marks a 9-point decline year-on-year, signalling softening confidence in long-term progress.

The country records a 26-point trust gap between high- and low-income groups, among the largest disparities globally. This divide also extends to perceptions of institutional competence and ethics.

Concerns over information integrity are rising sharply. 72% of Indonesians are worried about foreign actors spreading disinformation, up 15 points year-on-year, while exposure to differing political viewpoints has dropped by 11 points.

“Next crisis of trust” emerging

Speaking on the findings, Nia Pratiwi, managing director, Edelman Indonesia, said trust is becoming increasingly concentrated within familiar networks.

“Indonesians continue to show strong trust in institutions, but we’re seeing a shift in how that trust is built and extended. People are becoming more selective, preferring what feels familiar and avoiding engagement with differing perspectives. Trust is concentrating within closer, more personal circles, making insularity emerge as the next crisis of trust,” said Pratiwi.

The report also highlights how uncertainty reshapes behaviour at a societal level, according to academic perspectives.

“In periods of uncertainty, people tend to turn inward to restore a sense of control and identity. But this inward turn is not simply about comfort – it reflects how trust is shaped by uneven experiences with institutions and access to resources. As trust is negotiated through everyday encounters with systems that may feel distant or inconsistent, people gravitate toward what feels immediate and relatable, strengthening cohesion within groups while narrowing engagement across differences,” said Diatyka Widya Permata Yasih, lecturer at the department of sociology, University of Indonesia and co-director of academic praxis at Asia Research Centre UI.

Business and government: adapting to a fragmented trust landscape

As trust becomes more selective, organisations are being pushed to rethink how they engage stakeholders across increasingly fragmented audiences.

Rohan Hafas, managing director, stakeholders management and communications at Danantara Indonesia, emphasised the importance of continuous, transparent communication.

“Danantara Indonesia’s priority since the first year has been to build trust around our mandate and good governance. As a sovereign fund serving one of the world’s largest populations, we must communicate in ways that are both institutionally credible and genuinely accessible for our people, which is why social media is so important. Trust is not built in boardrooms and policies alone – it is earned through consistent, transparent engagement with every segment of society,” said Hafas. 

The insularity trend is also visible in workplace behaviour, where differences in values and beliefs increasingly shape collaboration dynamics: 35% of employees say they would put in less effort to help a team leader with different political beliefs, 43% would prefer to switch departments rather than report to a manager with different values, and 38% support reducing foreign company presence, even if it leads to higher prices.

These findings suggest that value alignment is becoming a growing factor in workplace cohesion and productivity.

Yet the report also identifies an opportunity: trust across differences is still achievable under the right conditions. 

“The good news is, trust across differences is still possible. The findings show that globally, among those who already trust someone who differs from them (22%), they are more likely to trust someone who is different from them when that person has an open mind and does not try to change them (49%), and when they are transparent about their differences (46%),” added Pratiwi.

Employers emerge as key trust brokers

Among all institutions, employers remain the most trusted, with the smallest gap between expectations and performance. 

The report highlights that CEOs are increasingly expected to play a central role in bridging divides within organisations by consulting people with different values and backgrounds when making decisions (81%), engaging constructively with critics (81%), and leading the trust-building agenda (80% expectation of CEO leadership).

The 2026 Trust Barometer is the 26th edition of the annual global trust survey conducted by the Edelman Trust Institute. It is based on 33,938 respondents across 28 countries, with fieldwork conducted between October and November 2025.

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