The inspiration for the resilience research came from a number of existing resilience studies (for example, the Fund for Peace has its own State Resilience Index and monitors various country indices long-term), which however usually focus primarily on the resilience of individual states. Our research differs in that we are interested in the influence each individual person has on overall resilience. The aim of this text is to summarise and interpret results concerning the functioning of government institutions and citizens' trust in their states. It is also important to emphasise that trust in institutions is understood broadly here — we do not focus solely on basic elements of government communication, but also on trust in local government, the rescue system and other aspects of the state as perceived by citizens in everyday contact. For this reason we also work with trust in employers.
Special emphasis is placed on results for the Czech Republic. In some cases, data from our research in other countries — specifically Slovakia, Germany and Sweden — are also included.
Methodology
The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional and comparative design. The target population comprised individuals aged 16–75. Representative samples were obtained in the Czech Republic (N = 1,235; CAWI 620, CAPI 615; data collection 23–29 May 2025 by SC&C agency) and in Slovakia, Germany and Sweden (each N = 1,000; CAWI; data collection 31 July – 20 August 2025 by Talk Online Panel agency).
The IIR was constructed as the sum of 60 questions within eight dimensions (maximum achievable score 226 points). Dimensions and their weights: Values (14%), trust in institutions (7%), cohesion (6%), adaptability (18%), mental health (11%), skills (6%), material security (18%), physical activity and health (20%).
How resilience reflects in our satisfaction
The way we perceive the community we live in is reflected in our value attitudes and overall approach to society. At the same time, it is possible to be satisfied with one's own life and yet not identify with the political system in which one lives. In our research we wanted to find out to what extent these two variables are connected.
General life satisfaction is very similar across all countries studied, being slightly higher in the Czech Republic. Average life satisfaction: CZ 7.0 · SK 6.7 · DE 6.6 · SWE 6.6. The share of people giving a high rating (8–10) is 44% in the Czech Republic, 39% in Slovakia, 41% in Germany and 40% in Sweden.
When choosing between freedom and equality, 54–57% of the population in all four countries choose freedom, 29–33% equality. The most important value for all four countries is a sense of security (average 8.5–9.1 on a 0–10 scale).
The prevalence of the preference for freedom over equality can be seen as a very important trend. As Thomas Carothers and Brendan Hartnett note in Misunderstanding Democratic Backsliding (Journal of Democracy, 2024), the weakening of institutions protecting civil liberties — rather than unsatisfactory socioeconomic outcomes — is the most significant trigger of democratic backsliding.
The current generation in the context of the past
A further interesting finding is the comparison of the current situation with the reality of previous generations. It emerges that only in the Czech Republic is the present perceived as better than the past. Conversely, a marked decline in optimism and strongly negative assessments are evident especially in Sweden and Slovakia.
Pessimism about the future also affects the Czech Republic, but again to the smallest degree. Slovakia perceives the future most negatively of all countries studied. These findings are complemented by data on interpersonal trust: the highest level of interpersonal trust is observed in Sweden, while the lowest values are again in Slovakia. Particularly striking is the very high level of distrust towards others declared by as many as 79% of Slovak respondents.
How people perceive social support
Another important finding alongside growing societal distrust is the individual perception of social support — how many people in one's surroundings one can rely on or ask for help in case of need. As many as 45% of Slovaks state that in an emergency they can turn to only one or two people. Relatively high numbers are also visible in Germany. In the Czech Republic and Sweden it is approximately a third of the population.
Trust in institutions
Sweden shows the highest level of institutional trust of all countries studied, consistent with OECD data from 2024. Average trust in institutions is highest in Sweden and lowest in Slovakia; Germany and the Czech Republic achieve the same result.
Solvo research shows higher trust levels than OECD data because OECD measures trust in narrowly defined political institutions (government, parliament, political parties), while Solvo captures broader institutional trust including police, courts, schools, the military, local government and employers — institutions that enjoy higher reputations and more stable public perceptions.
In all countries studied, rescue services — especially firefighters and doctors — show the highest trust. High trust is also visible in the military and police, especially in the Czech Republic and Sweden. Conversely, Slovaks show the lowest trust in courts of all countries. Very low trust applies to governments in all countries, and similarly strong distrust exists towards public media — with the exception of Sweden. The lowest ratings across countries go to parliaments and social networks.
Key findings
Institutions and trust in the state represent fundamental components of overall societal resilience, with significant differences between countries. In all countries, a strong orientation toward the value of freedom prevails, which according to Carothers and Hartnett (2024) represents important protection against democratic backsliding.
The Czech Republic alone perceives the present more positively than the past, while Sweden and especially Slovakia show marked pessimism. Distrust is also reflected in interpersonal relations: up to 45% of Slovaks have only one or two people to turn to in an emergency. Average trust in institutions is highest in Sweden and lowest in Slovakia.
In all countries the highest trust goes to firefighters, doctors and other rescue services, while the worst ratings go to governments, parliaments, social networks and in some countries public media. These findings confirm that societal resilience is not determined solely by state performance, but also by how citizens perceive values, institutional stability, interpersonal relations and their own living conditions.
References:
Brabcová, Š., & Korychová, M. (2025). Velikost českých domácností se zmenšuje. Statistika & My. Czech Statistical Office.
Carothers, T., & Hartnett, B. (2024). Misunderstanding democratic backsliding. Journal of Democracy, 35(3), 24–37.
The Fund for Peace. State Resilience Index (SRI).
OECD. (2024). Sweden: Country note — OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions 2024.
Holloway, K., Faures, D., & Leach, A. (2021). Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: Sweden country profile. ODI.