Visualizing Trust in Self-Driving Cars Across 21 Countries
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Key Takeaways
- Trust in self-driving cars is highest in emerging markets like India, Pakistan, Brazil, and China, where larger shares express “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust.
- Advanced economies like the U.S. show higher skepticism, with 51% of respondents saying they would not trust self‑driving cars at all.
Self-driving cars are often touted as the future of mobility, but how much does the public trust them?
This visualization compares levels of trust across 21 countries, showing significant differences in the perception of autonomous driving.
Data & Discussion
The data for this visualization comes from the 2024 Global Public Opinion on Artificial Intelligence (GPO-AI). It surveyed respondents across emerging and advanced economies, asking how much they trust self-driving cars, from “a great deal” to “not at all.”
| Country | A great deal | A lot | A little | Not at all |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 India |
22% | 29% | 35% | 14% |
 Pakistan |
13% | 23% | 43% | 22% |
 Brazil |
9% | 18% | 46% | 26% |
 China |
8% | 47% | 35% | 10% |
 Kenya |
7% | 24% | 53% | 16% |
 Mexico |
7% | 25% | 48% | 20% |
 South Africa |
7% | 15% | 40% | 39% |
 Argentina |
6% | 22% | 48% | 24% |
 Global |
6% | 19% | 44% | 31% |
 Indonesia |
6% | 23% | 54% | 16% |
 U.S. |
6% | 13% | 30% | 51% |
 Australia |
5% | 13% | 33% | 49% |
 Spain |
5% | 17% | 44% | 33% |
 Canada |
4% | 12% | 40% | 44% |
 Chile |
4% | 23% | 49% | 23% |
 France |
4% | 14% | 41% | 41% |
 Germany |
4% | 15% | 40% | 41% |
 Italy |
4% | 14% | 44% | 39% |
 U.K. |
4% | 10% | 34% | 52% |
 Portugal |
3% | 10% | 46% | 40% |
 Japan |
2% | 12% | 65% | 21% |
 Poland |
2% | 9% | 49% | 40% |
Emerging Markets Show More Optimism
Countries such as India, Pakistan, Brazil, and China showed the highest level of faith in autonomous driving.
In India, over 50% of respondents said they trusted the technology either “a lot” or “a great deal.” Similarly, 60% of respondents in China expressed significant trust.
This optimism may reflect rapid innovation and fewer entrenched legacy systems in mobility. For example, China dominates the robotaxi landscape, with eight companies currently offering services to the public.
Western Economies Remain Skeptical
By contrast, advanced economies show high levels of distrust. In the U.S., 51% of respondents said they would not trust self-driving cars at all. Skepticism was similarly high in the UK (52%) and Australia (49%).
Factors such as high-profile accidents, regulatory debates, and concerns over liability may explain these levels of hesitation.
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