Kenya and Nigeria have topped the global ranking of countries with the highest levels of trust in news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s Digital News Report 2026.
The report, based on responses from nearly 100,000 people across 48 markets collected between January and February 2026, found that 68% of people in both Kenya and Nigeria said they trust most news most of the time.
While trust remains high in parts of Africa and Northern Europe, it is much lower in countries such as the United States, where only one in four respondents expressed confidence in the news.
Here are the 10 countries with the highest levels of trust in news in 2026.
1. Kenya – 68%
Kenya ranked first in the world, with 68% of respondents saying they trust most news most of the time.
The report said trust in news in Kenya has increased by about 10 percentage points since 2022. The country shares the top position with Nigeria, making Africa home to the world’s two highest-ranking markets for news trust.
2. Nigeria – 68%
Nigeria matched Kenya with 68% of respondents expressing trust in most news most of the time.
The result places Nigeria ahead of every country in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas included in the study. Like Kenya, Nigeria has recorded an increase of about 10 percentage points since 2022.
The report noted that data for Nigeria is based mainly on an English-speaking online sample.
3. Finland – 63%
Finland recorded the highest level of trust in Europe, with 63% of respondents saying they trust most news most of the time.
It remains one of the strongest-performing news markets globally and continues to lead the Nordic countries, where trust has generally strengthened over the past decade.
4. Denmark – 55%
Denmark ranked fourth globally, with 55% of respondents expressing trust in the news.
The country continues to perform well compared with most European markets, reflecting the strong position of the Nordic region in this year’s report.
5. Norway – 53%
Norway secured fifth place after 53% of respondents said they trust most news most of the time.
Together with Finland, Denmark and Sweden, Norway reinforces the Nordic region’s position among the world’s most trusted news markets.
6. Hong Kong – 52%
Hong Kong ranked sixth globally with a trust score of 52%.
It was the highest-ranked market from the Asia-Pacific region in the top 10, highlighting stronger confidence in news than many neighbouring markets covered in the survey.
7. Sweden – 52%
Sweden also recorded a trust level of 52%, placing seventh in the global ranking.
Its position means four Nordic countries feature among the world’s top seven markets for trust in news.
8. Portugal – 51%
Portugal ranked eighth after 51% of respondents said they trust most news most of the time.
It remains one of Europe’s strongest-performing markets and joins Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands in representing the continent in the top 10.
9. South Africa – 50%
South Africa placed ninth with 50% of respondents expressing trust in the news.
The result gives Africa three countries in the global top 10, alongside Kenya and Nigeria. The report noted that findings for South Africa are based mainly on an English-speaking online sample.
10. Netherlands – 49%
The Netherlands completed the top 10 with a trust score of 49%.
Although just under half of respondents said they trust most news most of the time, the country still ranked among the world’s leading markets for public confidence in journalism.
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