What shapes generalized and particularized trust worldwide? Population, inequality, migration and media in a global perspective

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of two different types of trust across continents by distinguishing between generalized trust (trust in most people and trust in strangers) and particularized trust (trust in family and neighbors). It aims to identify how media use (traditional vs. social media), net migration, demographic characteristics and economic factors are associated with generalized trust and particularized around the world and across different regions. The analysis draws on a large, cross-national dataset of 441,481 individual observations from 107 countries, combining the EVS–WVS time series (1981–2023) with macroeconomic indicators from the World Bank, Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) and national statistical agencies. The study performs a comparative econometric analysis that is region-specific. As part of the methodology, we weight the data by both the GDP and the total population of the country in which each respondent resides. The results reveal substantial continental differences in the determinants of generalized and particularized trust. Media consumption exhibits regionally contingent effects. Social media use is negatively associated with generalized trust, particularly in Europe and advanced economies (AEs), while traditional media positively predicts trust in developed contexts but negatively in developing regions. Net migration produces the most striking regional divergence. It is positively associated with trust in Europe and AEs, and Asia but strongly negatively associated in Latin America and LAFMENA (Latin America, Africa and the Middle East and North Africa – MENA). This paper contributes to the literature in two ways. First, it advances a comparative framework that jointly analyzes generalized and particularized trust, revealing important divergences in their determinants. Second, by employing multiple weighting schemes and regional disaggregation, it tests the robustness of findings across different specifications and contexts, offering nuanced insights for both theory and policy.