The Global Infrastructure Index 2026, produced by GIIA and Ipsos shows an average of seven in ten (72%) surveyed around the world believe that investment in infrastructure would create jobs and boost the economy.
Six in ten (59%) also think investment can make an important contribution to combatting climate change as its effect is increasingly felt in communities around the world.
But just over half of respondents (57%) think their country is currently not doing enough to meet its infrastructure needs, while only one in three believe their country has a good track record of delivering infrastructure projects to date.
The Index, conducted by Ipsos across 29 countries, surveyed over 21,500 adults on their attitudes towards national infrastructure delivery, benefits, headwinds, and sources of funding.
A ‘wake up’ call for action
The last edition of the survey in 2024 showed a largely similar picture of overall satisfaction globally.
That this picture has not changed significantly in the past two years should be a wake-up call for action and execution in how infrastructure projects and improvements are financed.
Perhaps unsurprisingly against current economic shocks and political turmoil in many developed nations, the sharpest falls in satisfaction were observed in some G7 countries including Britain, Germany, and the U.S.
At the other end of the spectrum for sentiment, Singapore topped the list as the country where respondents were most satisfied by current infrastructure delivery.
Pragmatic public support for how infrastructure is paid for
However, set against the global appetite for improvement, pragmatism persists globally in how new infrastructure projects and maintenance will be delivered. 70% of survey respondents said they are comfortable with private investment if it delivers the necessary improvements – with three in four (73%) seeing maintenance as important as investment in brand new projects.
The majority of respondents believe either private sector financing on its own or blended funding models like public/private partnerships are likely to improve infrastructure. However, appetite amongst the public to pay for improvements through higher taxes or consumer bills is also low, with six in ten (61%) unsure about or opposed to these as options to fund upgrades.
Given public appetite for improvements, the private sector and the capital and expertise it brings will play the vital role in delivering both upgrades and new projects – collaboratively working together with governments to do so.
Jon Phillips, Chief Executive of GIIA, said:
“People around the world have a strong understanding of the value infrastructure investment can bring through creating jobs, boosting economic growth, and supporting the transition to more climate-resilient communities. But global delivery now needs to match these ambitions.
“The job for governments is to clear the path for on-the-ground delivery. With seven out of 10 people comfortable with private investment where it drives results, there is a clear opportunity to work in greater partnership with investors to close the ‘delivery deficit’ – combining public and private expertise to upgrade existing energy, transport, water and digital assets, deliver new projects, and build infrastructure fit for the future.
“The worrying trend towards worsening public satisfaction, including in some of the world’s largest, most developed economies, should be a wake-up call to get this right. Governments must recognize that infrastructure is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is essential to the prosperity and growth of modern economies in a fast moving world.”
The Index also explores how the public prioritize individual sectors nationally amongst the infrastructure asset class – water supply has jumped to become the highest prioritized sector for investment, followed by rail, solar energy, and roads.
Water supply and sewerage emerged as the top priority for investment in 9 out of 29 countries surveyed, and more broadly in the top three positions for 18 out of 29 countries.
A full breakdown of the findings by sector, country, and differing attitudes can be accessed below and as a download in the sidebar of this page.
Survey methodology
Ipsos interviewed a total of 21,521 adults. The sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals each in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Spain, Türkiye, and the U.S., and 500 individuals each in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, and Thailand.
The data is weighted so that the composition of each country’s sample best reflects the demographic profile of the adult population according to the most recent census data. “The Global Country Average” reflects the average result for all the countries and markets in which the survey was conducted. It has not been adjusted to the population size of each country or market.
Further details on Ipsos’ methodology can be found in the Index results deck.