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Despite relatively low crime rates in recent years, Americans’ overall trust in one another has dramatically declined.
Reddit user Mancub created a striking comparison of trust levels across various regions of the United States between 1972 and 2022, using data from the latest General Social Survey (GSS) conducted by the National Opinion Research Center. This sociological survey has been tracking changes in American society since 1972. These data were then visualized in maps of the United States.
In 1972, over 60% of people in the Heartland trusted most others. By 2022, this number had plummeted to the 20-30% range.
The South-Central region showed low trust levels in the ’70s, with 30-40% of people trusting others. This has worsened, with under 20% of residents now considering others trustworthy.
Overall, the national percentage of people who trust most others has fallen from 46.2% to a dismal 25.3% — now, only 1 in 4 Americans agree that most people can be trusted.
What’s Behind the Decline in Trust?
Social trust is linked to higher civic participation, lower corruption, better disaster resilience, reduced economic inequality, and fewer illegal activities. It is also associated with better health, happiness, and intelligence. The decline in any of these factors could contribute to the drop in generalized trust, but this is only part of the story.
From 1972 to 2022, generalized trust was consistently lower among non-White Americans compared to White Americans. The consensus on lower trust among non-Whites points to systemic racism, racial discrimination, neighborhood conditions, and economic inequality.
During this period, White Americans’ trust in “most people” also declined. There is less agreement on the reasons for the decline in trust among Whites. However, leading theories suggest a reaction to America’s increasing diversity and the perceived “end of White Christian America.”
