Continued appetite for investment in infrastructure alongside pragmatism to improve outcomes

Key findings from the latest Global Infrastructure Index in partnership with the Global Infrastructure Investor Association (GIIA) include:

• Citizens prioritise water supply and sewerage more than anything else as an infrastructure investment priority for their country.
• The Index finds considerable variation in sentiment and priorities across the 29 countries involved – for example, seven of the 14 different infrastructure sectors are top priorities in at least one country.
• An average of seven in ten citizens (72%) think that investment would create jobs and boost the economy, six in ten (60%) that it can make an important contribution to combating climate change.
• But 57% think their country is not doing enough to meet its infrastructure needs while only a third (34%) believe their country has a good record of delivering infrastructure projects.
• This is reflected in high levels of comfort (70%) with private sector investment if it delivers improvements. A majority believe private sector funding on its own or in combination with public sector funding is likely to improve infrastructure in several ways.

The latest Global Infrastructure Index finds strong competition for citizens’ top infrastructure investment priorities, but water supply and sewerage have pulled away at the top and flood defences are a less urgent priority than they were in 2024.

Both categories were tied at the top in last time’s survey. As last time, 42% of citizens consider water supply and sewerage a priority for investment in 2026, but selections of flood defences have fallen seven percentage points and six places over the same period (perhaps reflecting fewer extreme flooding events) while rail infrastructure has moved up four places since 2024.

The 2026 survey - carried out by Ipsos in 29 countries during April and May - finds new housing supply in second place, chosen as a priority by 37%. It is closely followed on 36% by three sectors; rail infrastructure, solar energy infrastructure and pavements, footpaths and pedestrian areas.

Water supply and sewerage is a top three priority in more than half, 19, of the countries involved. New housing supply features in the top three in 14 countries, the local road network in 13 countries.

Water supply and sewerage and new housing supply are the top priority in nine countries with solar energy infrastructure and the local road network the next highest at four each.

Flood defences are top in Thailand (selected by 61% of citizens there), Brazil (joint top with 55%) and Indonesia (50%). Rail infrastructure is top in Hungary (64%), Sweden (63%) and Spain (58%). Digital infrastructure (“such as high-speed broadband, full fibre networks (FTTP), 5G, and data centres”) is top in Malaysia (48%).

The survey finds considerable variation in priorities among the 29 countries (shown in the table appended and below). At its most extreme, water supply and sewerage are chosen as an investment priority by 72% in South Africa and only 19% in South Korea, new housing supply by 53% in Netherlands, just 5% in Japan.

A largely static picture in terms of satisfaction and attitudes

Across our global country average, four in ten (38%) are satisfied with infrastructure in their country overall, a return to levels recorded in 2023 after a small improvement in 2024 (40%). Three in ten (30%) are dissatisfied. A third say they are neither satisfied or dissatisfied (29%) or don’t know (3%).

However, there have been sharp falls in satisfaction between 2024 and 2026 in three G7 countries; Great Britain and Germany (both 11 percentage points) and in the U.S. (8 points). Satisfaction has also fallen in Mexico, Thailand and Indonesia.

As in 2023 and 2024, citizens in Singapore, India, Indonesia and Netherlands are among the most positive, joined this year by Poland where satisfaction has increased seven points since 2024.

Citizens in Peru, Italy and Hungary are, again, among the most negative with a sharp fall in satisfaction in Spain pushing it to the joint second lowest level of satisfaction of 29 countries (only ahead of Hungary).

More than half of citizens, 57%, think their country is not doing enough to meet its infrastructure needs, almost unchanged from 2024 (56%).

Investment in infrastructure is seen as having economic upside, creating new jobs and boosting the economy; 72% agree with this compared to 68% in 2024.

A majority, 59% on average, think infrastructure can also make an important contribution to combating climate change, similar to 57% last time. However, 61% don’t think infrastructure has been adapted enough to cope with future changes in the climate (unchanged from 2024)

In all but a handful of countries, a minority consider their country as having a good record of delivery giving an average of 34% (33% two years ago).

As in 2024, a higher proportion agree (39%) than disagree (27%) that spending should be increased to improve infrastructure even if it means higher taxes or costs for consumers (similar to last time’s 40% vs. 26%), but 34% are unsure or say they don’t know.

Three-quarters (73%) agree that it’s just as important that we maintain and repair existing infrastructure as it is to build new infrastructure. Only 5% disagree.

Citizens are pragmatic about funding sources

In line with previous surveys, seven in ten (70%) say they are fine with companies in the private sector investing money in their country’s infrastructure, if it means necessary improvements are achieved. A majority take this view in all but one country (South Korea).

The public and private sectors are seen as having some relative benefits as sources of funding but are largely viewed in similar terms. Many people see no difference or favour a combination of public and private sources of funding.

For example, the public sector’s comparative strength is working for all citizens – on average, 28% think the public sector is a source of funding most likely to achieve this, compared to 15% who think the private sector in the best source. The private sector is seen as a comparatively good source for harnessing technology – chosen by 34% compared to 23% for the public sector.

In both cases – and across five other beneficial outcomes flowing from investment - a plurality of citizens thinks a combination of public and private sector funding is likely to improve infrastructure. Around one in five say there is no difference between the two sources or answer don’t know.