British public confidence in science drops sharply since pandemic peak
A new Wellcome survey shows that only 51% of Britons now trust science a lot, down from 63% in 2020.
According to a Wellcome-commissioned survey of 1,007 people across Britain, the proportion of respondents who say they trust science "a lot" has slipped to 51%, compared with 63% in 2020. The study also finds that 60% of Britons have a lot of trust in doctors and nurses, versus 34% for scientists and just 14% for the government. Mark Henderson of the Wellcome Trust said uncertainty was not consistently explained during the Covid pandemic, but the data cannot prove the pandemic caused the confidence drop.
The findings come amid ongoing debate over how scientific advice was presented in policy decisions. Internationally, trust in science has fallen from 80% in 2020 to 72% in 2025. The report highlights broader pressures such as financial hardship and political division that may be influencing public attitudes.
Why it matters
Declining trust in science could affect public health initiatives and policy acceptance in the UK.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTCentrist coverage emphasizes the United States’ unusually high trust in science and sharp domestic divides, while right-leaning coverage spotlights a sharp decline in British public confidence and links it to pandemic-era uncertainty and political division.
CENTER
Centrist coverage frames the story around America’s leading trust levels in science and the deep internal polarization on that trust.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage frames the story around a notable fall in British confidence in science, contrasting trust in doctors with low trust in scientists and attributing the drop to pandemic uncertainty and broader political and economic pressures.
The right emphasises
- trust in science “a lot” fell from 63% in 2020 to 51% in the latest survey
- 60% trust doctors and nurses versus only 34% for scientists and 14% for the government
- uncertainty during the Covid pandemic was not consistently explained, and broader financial and political divisions may influence confidence
In this story
