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Who trusts others more? A cross-European study

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  • Giuseppe Albanese
  • Guido Blasio

Abstract

Using the European Social Survey, the paper documents the endowments and the individual determinants of trust across Europe. Self-declared trust is higher in northern countries, in particular Scandinavia; it is lower in southern countries, in particular Italy, Portugal and Greece. At the EU-15 level, we find that a number of factors, such as schooling, family background, labor market status, and a recent history of traumatic experiences, are associated with trust. We also find evidence of heterogeneity for some of the determinants across European countries. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Giuseppe Albanese & Guido Blasio, 2014. "Who trusts others more? A cross-European study," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 41(4), pages 803-820, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:empiri:v:41:y:2014:i:4:p:803-820
    DOI: 10.1007/s10663-013-9238-7
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gerard Ferrer-Esteban & Mauro Mediavilla, 2017. "The more educated, the more engaged? An analysis of social capital and education," Working Papers 2017/13, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    3. Bodor Ákos & Grünhut Zoltán & Horeczki Réka, 2018. "Considering the Linkage Between the Theory of Trust and Classical Rural Sociology’s Concepts," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 10(3), pages 482-497, September.
    4. Stephany, Fabian, 2019. "Whose Realm, His Trust - Regional Disparities of Generalized Trust in Europe," SocArXiv 7f5pk, Center for Open Science.
    5. Christan Bjørnskov & Miguel Ángel Borrella‐Mas & Martin Rode, 2022. "The economics of change and stability in social trust: Evidence from (and for) Catalan secession," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(2), pages 275-297, July.
    6. Roberto Antonietti & Raffaello Bronzini & Giulio Cainelli, 2015. "Inward greenfield FDI and innovation," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 42(1), pages 93-116, March.
    7. Elisa Borghi & Michela Braga & Francesco Scervini, 2020. "Fear of the dark: How terrorist events affect trust in the long run," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 20149, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    8. Pugno, Maurizio, 2021. "Italy’s parabolas of GDP and subjective well-being: the role of education," MPRA Paper 107948, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Accetturo, Antonio & de Blasio, Guido & Ricci, Lorenzo, 2014. "A tale of an unwanted outcome: Transfers and local endowments of trust and cooperation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 74-89.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trust; European Social Survey; Individual determinants; Z0; Z13; O52;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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