For more than two decades, the Norwegian Police Directorate has measured public perceptions of policing through one of the country's longest-running public opinion studies. The research provides a continuous evidence base on trust in the police, experiences of crime, perceptions of safety and citizens' interactions with law enforcement.
The research captures both traditional and emerging dimensions of safety. Alongside questions about neighbourhood security, trust and crime victimisation, it explores concerns related to digital fraud, identity theft and online safety. These issues have become increasingly important as digital threats now shape citizens' sense of security just as much as events in the physical world.
Verian works with the Norwegian Police Directorate to deliver the study, combining rigorous survey design, large-scale data collection and longitudinal analysis. A key objective is maintaining trend continuity while ensuring the research evolves to reflect new realities and emerging risks.
The value of the programme lies in its ability to track change over time. By collecting data from large, representative samples of the population every year, the study helps identify emerging concerns, understand shifts in public confidence and reveal how wider societal developments influence perceptions of security and policing.
The findings inform strategic decision-making across Norwegian policing and contribute to wider public debate about trust, legitimacy and safety. As governments around the world seek to strengthen confidence in public institutions, the study offers a good example of how robust evidence can help law enforcement organisations better understand and respond to the needs of the communities they serve.
Results from 2025
In 2025, 73% of the population report having high trust in the police. This marks the highest level recorded since 2022. Public perceptions have also improved across several dimensions, including arriving when there is acute need for help, preventing crime, treating people fairly and with respect, and explaining their decisions.
Most people continue to feel safe in their local communities. Almost nine in ten citizens say it is important that the police are visible in their local area. Satisfaction with police visibility has also increased compared with the previous year. The findings reveal a clear relationship between visibility and public confidence: people who see the police more frequently are substantially more satisfied with their local presence.
Methods of the survey
To support robust analysis at both national and regional levels, the 2025 survey collected responses from more than 22,800 participants, including a dedicated sample of 16- and 17-year-olds. Data collection was conducted through web-based questionnaires distributed via email, supplemented by SMS invitations for younger respondents and Digipost (a Norwegian secure portal for email) as an alternative recruitment channel. Results were subsequently weighted by age, gender and education within each police district to ensure that findings are representative of the Norwegian population and can be compared across police districts and population groups.
The Norwegian Police Citizen Survey has been completed in the years 2004, 2006, 2008-2010, 2012 and 2014-2025.
Read more
You can read the full report here or more on the website of the Police here.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact our Norwegian advisor Thomas Karterud.
Back
