New Nordic survey: High levels of trust in Nordic co-operation

According to the survey, trust in Nordic co-operation is at a very high level. Between 79 and 85 percent of people in Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden believe that co-operation between the Nordic countries increases their confidence in the future. Few other institutions come close to achieving such levels of trust. 

Although the figures vary slightly between countries – with trust in the Nordic Region lowest in Finland and highest in Denmark – in all cases, trust is at a high level. The survey presents Nordic co-operation as a stabilising force at a time when many people feel that trust in society more generally has weakened.

The survey shows that Nordic citizens have a high degree of trust in one another. Interpersonal trust is also strongly linked to how institutions are viewed and how positively people feel about living in the Nordic Region. Respondents who trust their fellow citizens also tend to regard the Nordic Region as one of the best places in the world to live.

International organisations also enjoy relatively high levels of confidence. Trust in the EU sits at between 17 and 30 percent. This suggests that, to some extent, Nordic citizens look to international structures for stability.

When respondents were asked to assess which of the other Nordic countries contributes most to trust, Finland ranked highest with an average of 47 percent, followed by Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Outside the Nordic Region, Canada also ranks highly among the countries most trusted by Nordic citizens.

Between 84 and 89 percent of respondents in the four countries believe that the Nordic Region is the best place in the world to live. Some differences emerge, however, among those who stated that they “strongly agree” with this view. In Finland and Sweden, the figure is around 40 percent, while Norway reaches 53 percent and Denmark 54 percent.

Despite a high level of trust in Nordic co-operation, at least two-thirds of respondents in every country feel that trust in society has deteriorated in recent years. In Finland, as much as 37 percent believe that the decline has been significant – more than twice the proportion recorded in Denmark.

How public institutions are viewed also varies considerably. In Finland, the armed forces inspire the greatest trust, with 67 percent expressing confidence in them, while Danes are more evenly sceptical and no institution achieves a trust rating above 50 percent. Trust in the social responsibility of large international corporations also differs markedly, ranging from 69 percent in Norway to only 15 percent in Finland. Universities and higher education institutions, however, enjoy high levels of confidence throughout the Nordic Region.

The survey was conducted by Verian. Fieldwork took place in Finland between February and March 2026 and in the other countries during May 2026. The results are based on just over 1,000 responses per country, collected through a population-representative online panel.