Global Public Opinion Insights
GlobeScan research shows that the banking and finance sector holds a relatively strong and steadily improving societal reputation globally, outperforming many industries, but with clear regional and generational differences shaping trust.
Global insights into how the banking and finance sector is perceived in fulfilling its responsibilities to society.
Banks and financial institutions play a central role in shaping economic stability, access to opportunity, and long‑term prosperity. As a result, expectations around fairness, transparency, inclusion, and ethical conduct are high, and public scrutiny of the sector remains intense across markets.
This latest edition of GlobeScan’s long‑running societal reputation research examines how banks and finance companies are perceived across 33 markets worldwide. It explores the sector’s steadily improving reputation over time, where it now stands relative to other industries, and how regional and generational dynamics are influencing trust in financial institutions in an increasingly complex global context.
Key insights include:
- Steady global improvement and above‑average performance. Banks and finance companies rank 5th out of 21 sectors globally in fulfilling responsibilities to society. After falling into negative territory following the global financial crisis, the sector’s reputation has steadily strengthened, surpassing the cross‑sector average since 2020 and reaching its highest level to date in 2025.
- Strong reputation in emerging and selected Asian markets; weaker perceptions in Europe. Public perceptions are most positive in emerging markets and several Asian financial hubs, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam, where the sector ranks first. In contrast, several European markets show negative net performance, reflecting more skeptical public attitudes.
- Younger generations are more positive than older cohorts. Gen Z holds the most favorable views of the banks and finance sector, followed by Millennials. Gen X and Baby Boomers are more critical, pointing to both a long‑term reputational opportunity with younger audiences and a trust‑building challenge with older generations.
- Diverging priorities by region and audience. In emerging markets, trust can grow through financial inclusion, access to credit, and economic development, while in more skeptical markets, rebuilding credibility requires greater focus on transparency, fairness, and ethical conduct.
