SOCIAL TRUST IN CHINA: A THREE-DECADE ANALYSIS

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive examination of social trust in China. It addresses ongoing debates about how much people trust, whether there is a trust crisis, and where trust comes from. Our analysis of the extensive and harmonized data from the Chinese General Social Survey (2003-2021) and from the World Values Survey (1990-2018) spanning three decades shows that 1) Chinese people hold high levels of general trust in others, 2) the high social trust has been largely stable over the last three decades, and 3) political confidence and perceived fairness are two key drivers of trust. That said, Chinese people do show a marked low trust in several groups, such as strangers, businessmen, and religious individuals. Potential explanations are discussed. This study contributes to the key trust debates and also unveils novel trust patterns that can serve as valuable subjects for future research.