Lithuanians trust police and military the most, survey finds

A new public opinion poll shows that Lithuanians place the highest trust in the police and the country’s armed forces, with both institutions receiving over 70% approval, LRT reports.

According to the March survey conducted by Baltijos tyrimai for the ELTA news agency, 77% of respondents trust the police, while 73% trust the Lithuanian military. The government ranks ninth in trust, with only 32% of respondents expressing confidence in it.

Distrust in the police stands at 20%, with 3% undecided. For the military, 22% of respondents do not trust the institution, while 5% have no opinion.

The survey also ranked other institutions by trust levels: the Church and the state social insurance fund Sodra (both at 67% trust), municipal governments (62%), the presidency (51%), courts (47%), media (46%), the government (32%), and the parliament, Seimas (25%).

Rasa Ališauskienė, head of Baltijos tyrimai, suggested that declining trust in the government may stem from its handling of rising fuel and commodity prices amid regional conflicts. “People expect effective solutions to reduce costs, and communication from the government has not eased uncertainty,” she said.

Compared to a February survey, trust in the Church rose by 3 percentage points (to 67%), and trust in municipal governments increased by the same margin (to 62%). Trust in the government, however, fell by 3 points (to 32%). Ališauskienė attributed the rise in municipal trust to pre-election activity, while the Church’s gain may reflect seasonal or situational factors.

The poll was conducted between March 19–30, 2026, with 1,009 Lithuanian residents aged 18 and older participating. The margin of error is up to 3.1%.