Professions rated high in honesty and ethics, including clergy
Percent of U.S. adults giving a high rating, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Nurses (75%). Lowest: Clergy (27%).
- Nurses: 75%
- Military veterans: 67%
- Medical doctors: 57%
Source: Lifeway Research, Americans' Trust in Pastors Hits Historic Low · Gallup Honesty and Ethics Survey of U.S. adults. Article published 2026-01-16.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Nurses (75%). Lowest: Clergy (27%). Nurses: 75%. Military veterans: 67%. Medical doctors: 57%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, Americans' Trust in Pastors Hits Historic Low (https://research.lifeway.com/2026/01/16/americans-trust-in-pastors-hits-historic-low/).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.