Engineering has been recognised as the second most trusted profession in Great Britain. According to this year’s Ipsos Veracity Index, 90% of people nationwide have confidence in engineers to be truthful.

Achieving second place within a year is a significant milestone for engineering. As the profession’s regulatory body, the Engineering Council’s goal is to ensure employers, governments and society - both in the UK and globally - can rely on the expertise and commitment of engineers and technicians. We do this by establishing and upholding global standards for professional competence, ethics and commitment.

Professionally registered engineers and technicians are required to maintain and promote high ethical standards in their work, as well as actively address unethical behaviour. The four core principles for ethical conduct and decision-making are outlined in a Statement of Ethical Principles, developed jointly by the Engineering Council and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Paul Bailey, Engineering Council CEO said: “It’s great to see engineers continuing to climb up the rankings on the 2024 Ipsos Veracity Index as one of the most trusted professions among the British public. More than ever, society is placing great faith and trust in the engineering profession to regulate itself. Professional registration with the Engineering Council allows engineers and technicians to demonstrate that they are worthy of that trust through achieving and demonstrating both professional competence and a commitment to professionally develop. At the same time, with only 15.7% of engineers identifying as women, it’s important that the profession also remains focused on those campaigns and initiatives that aim to address this imbalance.”

Nurses remain the most trusted profession in the UK, with 94% of Britons saying they rely on them for honesty—an increase of six percentage points from last year. Doctors are ranked third with 88% confidence, a rise of three points, while professors and teachers share fifth place at 85%, with increases of nine and seven points, respectively, from 2023.

To read more on this year’s Ipsos Veracity Index, visit the IPOS website.