REUTERS--  The annual Edelman Trust Barometer showed overall trust in the four institutions it measures - the government, media, business and non-governmental organisations - falling more steeply in the United States than in any of the 28 countries surveyed.

Trump has broken with presidential tradition and repeatedly denounced the media and judiciary - attacks his critics say risk undermining public confidence in those institutions.

By contrast, the country that saw the biggest trust gains among its own citizens was China, after a year in which President Xi Jinping cemented his hold on power at a triumphal party congress.

Faith in the Chinese government jumped 8 points to 84 percent. In the United States it fell 14 points to 33 percent.

"The United States is enduring an unprecedented crisis of trust," said Richard Edelman, head of the communications marketing firm that commissioned the research.

Xi was the headliner in Davos last year, days before Trump was inaugurated. This year, Trump is the main attraction. He is expected to defend his tin a speech on the final day of the conference of policymakers, CEOs, bankers and celebrities in the Swiss Alps, which runs from Jan. 23-26.

Pointing to the steep erosion in trust in the United States, Edelman said it was the first time since the survey began 18 years ago that such a precipitous drop was not linked to a specific event, such as an economic crisis or catastrophe, like the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

"Normally when things are going well, trust is pretty good," Edelman said. "Increasingly there is a disconnect between trust and economic outcomes."