The Death of Trust? What New Pew Data Says About America’s Social Divide

Trust: the invisible glue that holds society together. But according to new data from Pew Research Center, that glue is weakening.

Just 34% of Americans now say “most people can be trusted,” a number unchanged since 2018 but significantly lower than the 46% who felt the same in 1972. The finding, based on Pew’s 2023–2024 Religious Landscape Study and decades of General Social Survey data, points to a persistent erosion in social trust across generations, demographics, and geography.

Who Trusts—and Who Doesn’t?

Trust isn’t evenly distributed. White (40%) and Asian (38%) Americans are more likely to express trust than Hispanic (23%) and Black (21%) Americans. Income and education are also powerful predictors: those with higher income and college degrees are far more likely to believe in the goodness of others.

And while personal experiences shape how we trust, so do structural factors like discrimination, crime rates, and neighborhood safety. It’s not surprising, for example, that residents of New Hampshire and Utah—states with high education levels and lower crime rates—report some of the highest levels of trust in the country. Meanwhile, states like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas lag significantly behind.

Even within states, trust varies. In California, 46% of San Franciscans say most people can be trusted, compared to just 24% in Riverside.

Why Trust Matters

Social trust has real-world consequences. People who trust others are more likely to help their neighbors, conserve resources, and lend a hand—or a set of keys. They’re also more optimistic about their lives, reporting higher levels of happiness, better health, and stronger family bonds.

But trust isn’t just a feel-good metric. It’s critical to democracy and the economy. When people believe others will repay loans, follow laws, or keep their word, systems work better.

So Why the Decline?

The study identifies several long-term forces that may be dragging down American trust:

• Rising political polarization: Partisan divisions have deepened, fueling an “us vs. them” mentality.
• Technology and isolation: With more people online and working from home, in-person social bonds have frayed.
• Fragmented media: Fewer Americans share a common news diet, and misinformation runs rampant.
• Growing inequality: The shrinking middle class and rising wealth gap breed resentment and suspicion.
• Demographic change: As communities grow more diverse, perceived differences can sometimes suppress social cohesion.
• Religious disaffiliation: Declines in organized religion have removed a once-central gathering place for trust-building.

All of these factors may help explain the generational slide. Each new cohort is growing up in a more isolated, less trusting world—and carrying that outlook into adulthood.

A Glimmer of Hope?

Despite the gloomy trendlines, there are signs of stabilization. Trust levels haven’t dropped further since 2018, and new habits formed during the pandemic—like helping strangers and volunteering—may represent green shoots of recovery.

In fact, Pew’s data show that Americans are reengaging with community life. Volunteerism has rebounded, and religious disaffiliation has plateaued. Globally, kindness is on the rise, with Gallup finding a surge in “benevolent acts” since COVID-19 began.

While fewer than half of Americans (44%) say they trust most or all of their neighbors—down from 52% a decade ago—the fact that the decline has stalled may be its own kind of progress.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Restoring trust won’t be easy. It requires rebuilding institutions, strengthening local communities, and finding ways to bridge cultural and political divides. But the data makes one thing clear: trust isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a foundational ingredient in a functioning society.

And the good news? Trust, once built, can spread—one neighbor, one conversation, one kind gesture at a time.