21%
of Russians believe that most people can be trusted. 74% believe that caution should be exercised with those around us.
A year earlier, the figures were 17% and 80%, respectively.
The level of trust is increasing in groups of people who have higher education and income. In cities with a population ranging from 250,000 to 1,000,000, the share of people who are suspicious and distrustful of others is less than the percentage of those who trust people. In small cities (ranging from 50,000 to 250,000 people), residents are more cautious. In large cities and urban-type settlements, as well as in villages, the level of trust/distrust is the same as in the general population.
These results were obtained during a nationwide survey of 2,000 Russians over 18 years of age as part of a Monitoring the Status of Civil Society study conducted by the HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and Nonprofit Sector in 2014. The results of the study, which was supported by the HSE Basic Research Programme, will be published in the fifth issue of an informational newsletter on the development of civil society and the non-profit sector in Russia.
See also:
Fines and Trust in the Government Stimulate Tax Payments
A high level of trust in state institutions and fines for defaulters contribute to better tax collection. During the international scientific conference Culture, Diversity, and Development, Alexey Belianin, Head of the HSE Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Economics, presented ‘Tax Payments and Trust: A Cross-Country Empirical Analysis’, research conducted by an international group of scientists.