Te Ngākau Pono ki Te Ratonga Tūmatanui Trust in the Public Service
The Public Service cannot operate without the trust and confidence of the people we serve.
He mea tino whaitake te ngākau pono me whakawhirinaki mai a te iwi whānui Why we care about trust and confidence
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.
What drives trust
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
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.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) selected New Zealand for a country study on the drivers of public trust. This was part of an ongoing programme of work supporting trust in government. Some findings have been released by the OECD as part of their cross-national report and a full New Zealand report was published in 2023.
Uiuinga ki Aotearoa New Zealand measures of trust and confidence
The Kiwis Count survey measures the trust and confidence of New Zealanders in the Public Service. It asks respondents why they’ve given a score, based on their most recent service experience and perception of the Public Service overall.
Latest results as of June 2024
- 80% of New Zealanders trust public services based on their personal experience. This is slightly down from 81% last quarter and is consistent with the range of trust scores over the past 10 years.
- Trust in the Public Service brand is 56%, which is down from 59% in the previous quarter.
- Results from the June quarter show that high proportions of New Zealanders think the Public Service do their best to help New Zealanders (70%), are generally honest (68%), and treat people with respect (68%).
See our Kiwis Count survey page for more information.
Ngā rārangitanga ā-ao International rankings in trust and confidence
Across a range of international indexes, New Zealand ranks as a world-leader in trust and confidence in government.
OECD data shows New Zealanders have high trust in public institutions compared to many other countries.
Government at a glance 2023 — OECD
Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions in New Zealand – OECD
New Zealand performance in international rankings related to trust in the Public Service
Scored: 99/100 |
Freedom in the World 2023 Index including 40/40 for political rights and 59/60 for civil liberties |
2nd Place | |
2nd Place |
The International Civil Service Effectiveness (InCiSE) Index 2019 |
3rd Place |
Transparency International 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index |
5th Place | European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption and State-Building (ERCAS) Index of Public Integrity |
5th Place | Public sector performance indicator in The European Institute of Public Administration International Benchmarking Study: Sub-Study 2022 |
7th Place |
Public Services Index 2023, ranking data on 200 countries gathered by academics |
13th Place |