A very large majority, 91% (up 1% to its highest since 2007) of Australians aged 14 and over rate Nurses as the most ethical and honest profession – the 20th year in a row since Nurses were first included on the survey in 1994.

Of all 30 professions surveyed in 2014 a majority, seventeen, decreased in regard to ethics and honesty while ten professions increased and only three professions were unchanged.

Other professions that also gained high ratings for ethics and honesty in 2014, included Doctors (86%, down 2%), Pharmacists (86%, up 2%), Dentists (74%, unchanged), High Court Judges (74%, up 1%), Engineers (72%, down 4%), School Teachers (72%, down 4%), Police (71%, up 2%) – the highest ever rating for Police and State Supreme Court Judges (70%, unchanged).

Amongst the biggest losers were Ministers of Religion (37%, down 7%) recording their lowest ever rating for ethics and honesty since being included on the survey in 1996, Business Executives (18%, down 4%), Union Leaders (12%, down 3%) – their lowest rating since 2002 and Real Estate Agents (9%, down 3%).

Federal MPs (12%, down 2%) and State MPs (12%, down 1%) both lost ground since last year whilst the lowest ranked profession is once again Car Salesmen (3%, down 1%) – a position they have held for over 30 years with the next lowest being Advertising people (8%, down 1%).

Gary Morgan says: