Trust in the European Union has reached its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, rising from 31% in 2013 to 52% in spring 2025.
Where people live — in cities, towns, suburbs, or rural areas — strongly influences how much they trust EU, national, and local institutions, according to new analysis from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).
65% of rural residents across the EU reported higher trust in local and regional authorities than those in cities (64%) and towns and suburbs (61%), the data from 2024 indicates.
For trust in the EU itself, the figures reveal a growing gap: 60% of city residents trusted the EU, compared to 52% in towns and suburbs and 48% in rural areas, the JRC said, citing Eurobarometer data.
This difference in trust levels has widened significantly over recent years. In 2019, the gap between cities and rural areas regarding trust in the EU was only two percentage points, the JRC found.
Wider gaps among countries and factors influencing trust
Trust in the EU among rural residents varies widely between EU countries. In France, Slovenia, Austria, Spain, and Germany, fewer than 45% of rural residents trusted the EU in spring 2024, while the figure exceeded 65% in Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Portugal, reaching as high as 75% in Lithuania.
The gap between cities and rural areas was more than 15 percentage points in Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Romania, the report showed.
Across all types of territories, trust in regional and local authorities has increased steadily, with more than 60% of urban and rural residents expressing confidence in these institutions in 2024.
In contrast, trust in national governments remains lower than trust in the EU among all groups.
A sense of being left behind was reported by 40% of rural residents across the EU and reached 60% in more remote rural areas, according to public consultations conducted in 2021 as part of EU rural policy planning.
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