Determinants of interpersonal trust in India

Research on interpersonal trust has largely overlooked how caste, gender, and development intersect to shape trust dynamics. This study explores how generalised trust (in strangers) and particularised trust (in close relationships) are influenced by individual attributes and broader developmental factors. Using data from the WHO’s Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) Wave-1 (2007/10), alongside regional-level indicators, the findings reveal that developmental progress, measured by the Human Development Index (HDI), urbanisation, and caste concentration, affects trust differently for social groups. Scheduled Caste individuals show higher generalised trust in more developed districts, indicating that improved socio-economic conditions can mitigate caste-based trust barriers. However, these same conditions fail to support women, who continue to face persistent challenges in forming both generalised and particularised trust in high-HDI districts. This study highlights how developmentalism can reduce caste inequalities but reproduce gender disparities, underlining the need for policies targeting specific gendered barriers and providing a nuanced understanding of trust shaped by both individual and structural factors.