Only 31% of Armenians trust religious authorities: EU report

PanARMENIAN.Net - 31% of Armenians trust the country's religious authority against 60% who do not, as 9% of respondents were undecided, an opinion poll carried out in the framework of The EU NEIGHBOURS east project showed recently.

Meanwhile, a major new Pew Research Center survey argues that 95% of Armenians believe in God, with many people regarding the national patriarch as the main religious authority.

According to the survey, Armenians do not possess a great deal of trust in national, regional and local institutions, although the share of individuals, who tend to trust the institutions, has slightly increased in 2017 compared to last year.

Political parties remain the least trusted institution (24%) among Armenians, the poll suggests, while just under a third of citizens trust the religious authority.

The purpose of the annual surveys is to investigate and understand better the opinion and the level of awareness that the citizens of the EU's Eastern Partner countries have about the EU and the cooperation of the bloc and their country.

Also, the EU conducted opinion poll revealed that more than three-quarters of Armenians (76%) feel relations with the European Union are good - well ahead of the regional average (61%).