Which dimensions of religiosity matter for trust? New insights from the MENA region

The important role of trust on various economic outcomes and on economic development is well established in the literature, and religiosity as a cultural factor is likely to be a key determinant of trust. The empirical literature on the effects of religiosity on trust produces mixed findings, partly due to the multidimensional nature of religiosity. Using five dimensions of religiosity – subjective, private, collective, salience and tolerance – this article empirically investigates the role played by individual religiosity on interpersonal and institutional trust. The focus is mainly on the MENA region, where religiosity remains relatively unexplored in the trust literature. Based on data from the World Values Survey over the 2010–2020 period, the results support the existence of a multifaceted relationship between religiosity and trust. A comparative analysis with respondents from non-MENA countries reveals that religious tolerance is likely to enhance generalized trust in the MENA region only. This finding suggests that an evolution toward attitudes of religious tolerance is crucial to promoting trust in the MENA region.