Te Ngākau Pono ki Te Ratonga Tūmatanui Trust in the Public Service

The Public Service exists to serve New Zealand and can only do so if the relationship is positive and built on trust.

Trust is the foundation for the legitimacy of public institutions and a functioning democratic system. It is crucial for maintaining social cohesion and driving better outcomes. Trusting citizens are more likely to engage in democratic processes. They also contribute to designing effective services and join in tackling complex problems.

New Zealand has an enviable international reputation for its impartial, trusted public service. Public servants work hard to deliver the services that earn the trust of New Zealanders.

Trust and confidence cannot be taken for granted. We need to keep working hard to build and maintain it, because without public trust the Public Service loses its social licence to operate.

How trust is built

Responsiveness, and integrity are key trust drivers. Responsive services are essential to building trust — if we aren’t meeting people’s needs, they won’t trust us. We know that trust is not only about what an individual has experienced, but also about what their family and wider social network has experienced.

We’ve also got to act with integrity and be in the job to help people — these are key aspects that build trust. Public servants uphold long-held principles that guide their work:

• They’re politically neutral
• They give free and frank advice
• They’re appointed based on merit
• They support open government and stewardship

Integrity and Conduct

The fundamental characteristic of the Public Service is acting with a spirit of service to the community. We know that making a positive contribution to society is the most common reason people join the Public Service. The spirit of service is what unites us.

Spirit of Service

We run the Kiwis Count survey quarterly to measure New Zealanders’ trust in the Public Service and their satisfaction with public sector services. The survey helps us understand what drives trust, including people’s experiences of services and their overall perception of the Public Service.

See our Kiwis Count survey page for the latest results.

Kiwis Count

OECD comparisons

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) surveys countries every two years on measures related to trust in public institutions. The survey looks at how people’s expectations and experiences of government influence trust, including day-to-day interactions with public services. OECD data shows New Zealanders have high trust in public institutions compared to many other countries.

Latest OECD survey results

2026 OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Publication Institutions Results

2026 OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions Results: New Zealand

Previous OECD survey results

2024 OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions Results

2024 OECD Surveys on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions Results: New Zealand

2023 OECD Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions in New Zealand Report

2021 OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions

New Zealand performance in international rankings related to trust in the Public Service