Interpersonal norms of trust and security exist to the extent that individuals in a society feel they can rely on those whom they have not met before. Where this is the case, the costs of social organisation and collective action are reduced. Where these norms do not exist or have been eroded over time, it becomes more difficult for individuals to form group associations, undertake an enterprise, and live safely and securely.
Studies have shown that societies with norms of trust and trustworthiness experience faster economic growth, have denser civic and associational life, and more effective public institutions, whereas in societies where people must fear violation of their personal and property rights, there are lower rates of new enterprise creation, engagement in associational life, and compliance with public authorities.
We measure personal security and trust by using data on general social trust from a wide variety of surveys, indicators of trustworthiness such as reported levels of crime victimisation, survey responses on feelings of safety and security in one’s neighbourhood, data on the incidence of homicide, and risk reports on the likelihood of physical attack, extortion, or robbery.
Data used for the 2020 Index:
| Indicator | Variables | Source | Countries |
| Frequency of alcohol consumed on the streets in our neighbourhood ( alues of very and quite frequently) | freq_alcohol_use_in_street | World Values Surveys | 42 |
| How much do you trust your family? (“not very much” or “not at all”) | trust_family | World Values Surveys | 73 |
| How much do you trust people you meet for the first time?” (“not very much” or “not at all”) | trust_people_meet_first_time | World Values Surveys | 73 |
| Are you satisfied with your freedom to choose what you do with your life? | freedom_of_choice_in_life_satisfied | World Happiness Report-Gallup | 144 |
| Felt unsafe in home, proportion saying ‘never’ | felt_unsafe_at_home | Afrobarometer | 34 |
| Had stuff stolen from home, proportion saying ‘never’ | never_stolen_from_home | Afrobarometer | 34 |
| Africa, % have not been attacked | never_been_attacked | Afrobarometer | 34 |
| Feel Safe in their Area at Night | feels_safe_at_night | European Social Survey | 40 |
| Preferred not to go out at night | not_go_out_at_night | World Values Surveys | 42 |
| Theft of a motorized land vehicle, police recorded offences, rates per 100,000 population | car_theft_rate | United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime | 60 |
| Theft, police recorded offences, rates per 100,000 population | theft_national | United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime | 74 |
| Sexual Exploitation, rates per 100,000 inhabitants | sex_exploitation | United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime | 44 |
| Have you, or someone in your family, been assaulted, attacked, or victim of crime in the last 12 months? Percentage | attacked_last_year | Latinobarometer | 18 |
| Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that your can’t be too careful in dealing with people? | most_people_can_be_trusted | Latinobarometer | 18 |
| Frequency in your neighborhood: drug sale in street (values of very and quite frequently) | freq_drugs_sale_in_street | World Values Surveys | 42 |
| Frequency of robberies in the neighbourhood ( values of very and quite frequently) | robberies_in_neighbourhood | World Values Surveys | 42 |
| Have you been victim of any type of crime in the past 12 months? Frequency in the neighbourhood of robberies | feel_secure_in_neighbourhood | Americas Barometer | 43 |
| Have you been victim of any type of crime in the past 12 months? | attempted _murder | United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime | 5 |
| Kidnapping Rate | attempted_kidnapping | United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime | 65 |
| Homicide Estimates by country | homicide_rate_UNCJIN | World Health Organization | 183 |
| WHO homicide rate | who_homi | World Health Organization | 183 |
| How much do you trust people you know personally? (“not very much” or “not at all”) | trust_people_know_personally | World Values Surveys | 73 |