Trust in others
New Zealand Social Report 2009
Definition
The proportion of the population aged 15 years and over reporting that people can "almost always" or "usually" be trusted, in the Quality of Life Survey.
Relevance
Trust in others is an important indicator of how people feel about members of their community. High levels of trust facilitate co-operative behaviour among people and contribute to people’s ability to develop positive relationships with others.
Current level
In 2008, 78 per cent of New Zealanders aged 15 years and over said that people can be trusted, a similar proportion to that recorded 2006 (76 per cent). Those who said that people can usually be trusted made up the largest group (60 per cent), while those who said that people can almost always be trusted made up 17 per cent. The corresponding figures for 2006 were 58 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively.
Figure SC3.1 Proportion of people reporting that people can be trusted, by level of trust, 2006 and 2008
Source: Quality of Life Survey 2006; Quality of Life Survey 2008
Age and sex differences
The proportion of New Zealanders aged 15 years and over reporting that people can be trusted was similar for males (78 per cent) and females (77 per cent). Eighteen per cent of males and 17 per cent of females agreed that people can almost always be trusted, while 60 per cent of both males and females responded that people can usually be trusted.
Young adults aged 15–24 years (74 per cent) were slightly less likely than people aged 25 years and over (78 per cent) to report that people can be trusted.
Ethnic differences
People of European ethnicity reported a slightly higher level of trust in people (79 per cent) than Māori (75 per cent). Pacific peoples (72 per cent) and those of Asian ethnicity (71 per cent) had the lowest proportions who said that people could be trusted.
Figure SC3.2 Proportion of people reporting that people can be trusted, by ethnic group and level of trust, 2008
Source: Quality of Life Survey 2008
Socio-economic differences
Across all income levels, a large majority of New Zealanders indicated that people can be trusted. Overall levels of reported trust increased with personal income levels. People with incomes over $100,000 reported the highest overall level of trust (84 per cent), while people with incomes of $30,000 or less reported the lowest level (76 per cent).
Figure SC3.3 Proportion of people reporting that people can be trusted, by personal income and level of trust, 2008
Source: Quality of Life Survey 2008
Regional differences
Across all New Zealand’s big cities, a large majority of New Zealanders indicated that people can be trusted. Reported levels of trust were highest in Wellington (87 per cent) and lowest in Manukau (68 per cent).
International comparison
New Zealanders’ level of trust in other people in 2006 compared well with those of people in European Union countries in 2005, and to that of people in Canada in 2003. Out of 25 OECD countries for which there was data, New Zealand had the sixth highest reported level of trust in other people.111
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