Public Trust in TNI Hits 93 Percent, Highest Among State Institutions

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Tentara Nasional Indonesia records the highest public trust at 93 percent on Sunday, Feb 8, 2026 in Indonesia, according to a national survey by Indikator Politics Indonesia, reflecting its continued dominance over other state institutions despite a slight decline. The result highlights the military’s strong public standing while raising concerns over its expanding role beyond defense and its potential social impact.

The findings were presented during a virtual release of the National Survey on Public Perception of Presidential Performance and Trust in State Institutions held on Sunday. The survey placed the military above the presidency and far ahead of parliament in public confidence.

Founder and lead researcher of Indikator Politics Indonesia Burhanuddin Muhtadi said public trust in the military remained exceptionally high.

"If we look at this data, the institution with the highest level of trust is the military, with a total of 93 percent saying they either strongly trust or somewhat trust it," Burhanuddin said.

The figure consisted of 15 percent of respondents who said they strongly trusted the military and 78 percent who said they somewhat trusted it. Meanwhile, only 5 percent said they had little trust and 1 percent said they did not trust it at all.

Despite remaining at the top, Burhanuddin noted a mild downward trend compared with earlier surveys.

-..-

"There is actually a slight decline in trust in the military, although it is still above 90 percent, as we previously recorded trust levels above 95 percent," he said.

He warned that the decline should be taken seriously as internal reflection, particularly as the military’s role increasingly extends beyond conventional defense duties.

"There are indications of the military becoming involved in programs such as the Free Nutritious Meals initiative and the Merah Putih Village Cooperative, among others," Burhanuddin said.

He added that deeper involvement in civilian and economic affairs could increase the risk of friction at the grassroots level.

"The more the military engages in non-defense matters, the greater the interaction with society and the higher the potential for friction," he said.

As a comparison, the presidency ranked second with a total public trust level of 91 percent. Parliament, meanwhile, remained at the bottom of the trust ranking among state institutions.