• 38% of Spaniards say they have little interest and little credibility in the news, thirteen points higher than in 2021

• Only 20% of those under 24 years of age consider that most news can be trusted, compared to 52%, who openly express their distrust.

Spaniards' loss of confidence in the news continues unabated. In 2025, only 31% of respondents maintain this trust, while the percentage of those who openly distrust has reached a worrying 40%. These are the worst figures since the beginning of the historical series of Digital News Report Spain reports. The outlook sample that skepticism in the media has been consolidating since 2020, although the loss of trust goes back years. Far behind is 2017, when more than half of Spanish respondents (51%) said they trusted the media, compared to 24% who did not. Since then, the drop has been constant.

As in previous editions, the data indicate that the picture of trust in the news is not homogeneous, but reveals profound differences when analyzed through the prism of age: the younger the citizen, the greater his or her skepticism towards the news, while credibility tends to increase progressively with age.

Distrust is notably high at the younger end of the spectrum, the 18-24 age group . Barely 20% of these young people believe that most news can be trusted, compared to 52% who openly express their distrust. These figures describe an attitude that is markedly critical or distant from the credibility they attribute to the traditional media or to the news landscape as a whole. This skepticism may perhaps be influenced by their greater exhibition a diversity of digital sources, the prevalence of misinformation on digital platforms and, perhaps, a lesser affinity with established media narratives.

As we advance in age, the balance begins to tip, although distrust remains the most widespread position in most age groups and almost half of the young and early middle-aged adult population does not trust the information they receive in general. It is in the 55-64 age group that trust significantly exceeds distrust for the first time: 39% of this group trusts the news, compared to 33% who distrust. This trend is further consolidated in the over-65 age group . Here, trust reaches its highest point among all age groups, with 40% of individuals believing in the reliability of the news. In this same group, distrust is at its lowest level, at 30%.

This direct correlation between age and trust suggests that life experiences, media consumption habits consolidated over time and, possibly, a lesser exhibition or a different management of digital information overload could influence this more favorable perception among older people. On the contrary, younger generations, digital natives or those who have matured in a fragmented and often polarized media environment, seem to have developed a more critical filter, or even a certain cynicism, towards generalist information.

More confidence in my news

As in previous editions, the survey not only asked about trust in news in general, but also about trust in the news that the respondent regularly consumes. And as in previous years, there are significant differences: compared to 31% of Spaniards who believe they can trust news in general, 38% trust their own news, i.e., the news they personally select. This gap is sustained over time. Thus, the data for the period 2021-2025 consistently show that Spaniards place greater credibility in the sources and content they actively select, compared to their perception of news in general.

This selective trust reveals, firstly, the existence of the first-person effect, in which users feel immune in their news consumption from the general panorama. Secondly, this phenomenon could be interpreted as a reflection of a greater critical capacity on the part of citizens to discern and choose quality content in a saturated environment. But on the other hand, it could also point to a trend towards the creation of echo chambers, where individuals predominantly consume news that confirms their own worldviews, which would naturally lead to a greater trust in those media or journalists they feel more in tune with their own views.

The group of information ninis continues to grow: they are neither interested in nor trust the news.

The combination of interest in the news and credibility allows us to classify respondents into four large groups. The subject that has grown the most in the last five years is the so-called news ninis, those who say they have little interest and little credibility in the news. In 2025 they represent 38% of all Spaniards, thirteen points more than in 2021, which is evidence of a continuous and growing disconnection of a large group of citizens.

In parallel, the most engaged group - citizens with high trust and high interest in the news - is steadily declining. This segment has dropped nine points, from 29% in 2021 to 20% in 2025, reflecting a worrying withdrawal of the most involved and well-informed audiences. The data reflects not only a crisis of confidence, but also a possible saturation or attrition in the face of the current news offer.

On the other hand, the group of users who maintain a high level of interest but leave confidence -that is, those who continue to be informed, but do so with skepticism- remains relatively stable at around 30% of the population. This profile seems to reflect an active but critical citizenry, which consumes information despite its doubts about the reliability of the media system.

Finally, the group with high trust but low interest represents a minority that has remained stable at around 11%. This segment may include people who, although they do not regularly follow the news, do not distrust the news system when they do, suggesting a less emotional or ideological relationship with current affairs.

If these data are compared with the international average for the other countries analyzed, a similar trend is observed, although with some nuances. The group of informational ninis is also growing steadily and will reach 37% in 2025, one point less than in Spain. At the same time, the high-confidence and high-interest profile remains slightly above the Spanish figure (24% versus 20%). In general terms, the international comparison sample how Spain has followed a particular path. Where other countries have seen certain indicators stabilize, here the fall of the most committed and the rise of the disconnected have been more marked.

The growing information disconnection, combined with the erosion of journalistic credibility, creates a breeding ground where misinformation and disengagement from public affairs thrive. The data suggest that, if this trend continues, Spain could soon find itself with a society divided between an informed minority and a majority increasingly disengaged from public discussion . The question that remains is whether this process has bottomed out or whether, on the contrary, we are facing a deeper and more lasting transformation in how citizens relate to information. What the numbers clearly show is that the traditional model is in crisis, and that the future of journalism will depend on its ability to reconnect with an increasingly skeptical and selective audience.

International comparison

The global average for trust in the news is 40%. This figure acts as a baseline to understand which countries and regions are above or below the threshold of balance between skepticism and news involvement. Spain's position in this scenario is worrying. With only 31% trust, it is in the bottom third of the global ranking, below neighboring countries, many Latin American countries and even young democracies in Asia or Africa.

By region, Africa leads the ranking of information trust. Nigeria (68%) and Kenya (65%) occupy the top two positions worldwide, followed by South Africa (55%).

In Asia-Pacific, the picture is more nuanced. Thailand (55%) and Hong Kong (52%) are among the countries with the highest levels of trust, while other nations such as South Korea (31%) and Taiwan (30%) are at the opposite extreme. Even powers such as Japan (39%) and India (43%) show mixed results, reflecting a region that is diverse in media Structures and levels of pluralism and press freedom.

Northern Europe is another core of high confidence. Finland, with 67%, tops the European list. It is followed by Denmark (56%), Norway (54%) and Sweden (53%), with Ireland (51%) completing a block of high information credibility. This patron saint responds to stable media systems, transparent public funding and a long tradition of publishing house independence. In Western Europe, the balance is also favorable: the Netherlands (50%), Switzerland (46%) and Germany (45%) present solid data . Belgium (43%) and Austria (40%) are right on the average, but France falls to 29%.

In contrast, Southern Europe appears as one of the most distrustful regions. Only Portugal (54%) stands out positively. Greece (22%) and Bulgaria (26%) close this block, reflecting a climate of information disaffection that has been reiterated in previous reports. Eastern Europe also sample low figures, with the exception of Poland (47%), which stands out from the rest. Croatia (36%) and the Czech Republic (33%) maintain moderate figures, while countries such as Hungary (22%) and Slovakia (23%) show very low levels of confidence.

In Latin America, perceptions are also fragmented. Brazil (42%) and Peru (40%) are in line with or above the global average, while Argentina and Colombia (both 32%) are closer to skepticism. Mexico and Chile (36%) reflect intermediate positions.

Finally, Canada reaches 39%, practically equal to the global average, while the United States barely reaches 30%. This last figure confirms a prolonged trend of erosion of trust in the media in the U.S., intensified by political polarization and growing information segmentation.

Net confidence

An indicator that allows us to differentiate the countries with the highest Degree credibility in the news from those that are more skeptical is the net trust or difference between the percentage of respondents who trust and the percentage of those who do not trust. The graph below shows that Greece (-18%), Hungary (-15%) and Slovakia (-14%) lead this ranking negatively. At the other extreme, Sweden (31%), the Netherlands and Singapore (30%) are the countries with the most positive balance. Spain is not only below the global average in absolute confidence (31% versus 40%), but its balance is negative (-9%). Compared to regions where trust far exceeds distrust, Spain is in the group of countries with a credibility deficit, a challenge that requires greater transparency, plurality and quality of information in order to regain the public's trust.