Within the developed world, Danes are the most trusting people and Chileans the least, according to new data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The results are based on survey responses to the question, “Generally speaking would you say that most people can be trusted or that you need to be very careful in dealing with people?” Within the United States, just less than half of people expressed a high level of trust in others.

Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Across the countries included in the analysis, levels of trust have increased modestly on average over the last decade. From an economic standpoint, that is probably a good thing, as higher levels of trust can help foster better economic relations. You’re more likely to do business with someone if you don’t assume that person will cheat you.

But this relationship is likely a two-way street: Not only does trust affect economic conditions, but economic conditions may also affect trust.

O.E.C.D. analysts found that higher levels of trust were generally correlated with higher household income levels:

Source: ESS (European Social Survey), ISSP (International Social Survey Programme), O.E.C.D. (2008) Growing Unequal? Income Distribution and Poverty in O.E.C.D. Countries (www.oecd.org/els/social/inequality).

Again, it’s not clear which is cause and which is effect. “Trust may promote gainful economic activity, or trust may be a luxury affordable only by richer countries,” the group’s report says.

Additionally, higher levels of income inequality correlated with lower levels of trust. The relatively egalitarian Nordic countries like Denmark, for example, have high levels of trust. On the other hand, more unequal societies like Mexico and Turkey have relatively low levels of trust.

Source: ESS (European Social Survey), ISSP (International Social Survey Programme), O.E.C.D. (2008) Growing Unequal? Income Distribution and Poverty in O.E.C.D. Countries (www.oecd.org/els/social/inequality).

The causal relationship is debatable here as well.

“Income inequality may make it more difficult for people in different strata to share a sense of common purpose and to trust each other,” the report says. “Or low levels of trust may impede positive social bonds developing, which in turn contributes to high inequality.”

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