Public services provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade rank highly in terms of Australians’ trust and satisfaction levels. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Public services provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medicare are the most trusted by Australians.
They give the highest levels of satisfaction, with trust levels also rising in the past year for services from Centrelink, Veterans’ Affairs, Agriculture, Employment and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
In fact, overall, Australians’ trust in public services has hit a record high this year, with a four percentage point increase from 2024.
According to the latest data from the 2025 Trust in Australian Public Services Report, published by the Australian Public Service Commission, trust in federal public services rose to 62 per cent.
Trust and/or satisfaction has increased by more than five percentage points for 5 out of 15 agencies.
Trust in specific services is at 73 per cent, with 2024–25 being the first time the APSC collected data on what service activities respondents to its survey undertook.
It tracked more than 120 different activities across the 15 agencies.
When asked why their trust in services had increased, people most often talked about reduced wait times, improved digital services, greater transparency and communication, and improved service quality and staff helpfulness.
Respondents were most satisfied with respectful interactions with staff and with achieving what they set out to do.
They were least satisfied with options to provide feedback on the service experience and on elements of service processes, such as clarity about how the service makes decisions and about being kept informed of progress and wait times.
“This new data allows us to compare similar service activities and make inferences about where we are seeing examples of better practice,” the report states.
Some of the most trusted services include applying for a PBS Safety Net Card, applying for a permit to bring potentially biohazardous goods into Australia, and applying for a passport or postal vote.
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher said the results reflect steady improvements in the quality, reliability and responsiveness of services delivered by the APS.
In line with the recent APS Census, the findings indicate that the public service is well-positioned to continue improving outcomes.
“Australians are telling us they trust the public services more than ever,” Senator Gallagher said.
“Trust is built through everyday interactions. When Australians feel heard, respected and supported, confidence in public services grows.
“These results show we’re making progress, and we’ll keep working to maintain and strengthen that trust.
“This is what happens when a government values and invests in its public service.”
According to the report’s findings, 71 per cent of respondents said the time taken to achieve an outcome was reasonable.
Digital platforms are simpler and more reliable, with 73 per cent saying websites, apps or online platforms worked well.
A total of 79 per cent reported it was easy to engage with a service, while 75 per cent of Australian Public Service staff were rated as helpful.
On average, women trusted public services less than men (59 per cent to 66 per cent). However, women’s trust has increased from 53 per cent in 2023–24 to 59 per cent in 2024–25.
Trust in public services was highest among people aged 18 to 34 (70 per cent) and had the largest increase, now 9 percentage points higher than last year.
Since the trust survey began in 2019, more than 82,000 people have shared their views, providing one of the most comprehensive insights into public confidence in government services.
The survey asked respondents to consider their experiences with services over the past year.
Overall trust is measured in the survey by the proportion of people who answered “Strongly agree” or “Agree” when asked “How much do you agree with the following statement – ‘I can trust Australian public services’.”
Trust in specific services is the proportion of people who answered “Strongly agree” or “Agree” when asked “How much do you agree with the following statement – ‘The service is trustworthy’,” about a specific service.
The proportion is adjusted pro rata based on the number of services each individual was asked about.
Satisfaction is the proportion of people who answered “Completely satisfied” or “Satisfied” when asked “Thinking about your overall experience with the above services, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you?’.”
