Social Capital
Social capital refers to the strength and usefulness of our relationships with other people, including family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and institutions (such as schools, churches, and civic organizations). Our sense of connectedness and the degree to which we cooperate with others, hold shared values and purposes, and trust one another are all part of social capital. While we often see and respect people as individuals, almost everything we do is accomplished through groups and therefore depends on our social relations. Throughout its history, Americans have been recognized for our active participation in civic groups, taking action on public affairs, such as town hall meetings to marches, and volunteering for our favored causes. This makes social capital particularly relevant in the United States.
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VolunteerismNational
Trend% of countries the US outperformsIntl. Rank
Trend63%Specific Measure:
Percentage of the population (age 16 and over) who have volunteered through an organization in the past year. (Source: Authors' analysis of Census Bureau data)
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Trust in other peopleNational
Trend% of countries the US outperformsIntl. Rank
Trend73%Specific Measure:
Whether adults report that other people can generally be trusted (Source: Authors' analysis of General Social Survey)
Measures in green indicate an improving national trend or that we are outperforming at least 80% of countries.
Measures in red indicate a declining national trend or that we are outperforming less than 50% of countries.
Measures in yellow indicate stable trends or that we are outperforming 50-79% of countries.
Summary of Results
With the exception of a brief decline during the COVID pandemic, which precluded many forms of in-person activity, volunteerism has held relatively steady or increased slightly over the past decade. (Unfortunately, we do not have consistent trend data going back to 1990.) However, we show declining trust in other people, mirroring international trends. On both measures—volunteerism and trust in other people—we are above the average of other higher-income countries, but far from the top tier.