Share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of in South Africa
South Africa: Share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of was 23.3% in 2014. ▼ Falling
Share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of in South Africa, 1984–2014
Source: Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2014, share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of in South Africa stood at 23.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 102.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of in South Africa peaked at 26.6% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2004.
South Africa ranks 26th of 39 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 26.1% | — |
| 1993 | 26.6% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 17.6% | -34.0% |
| 2004 | 11.5% | -34.5% |
| 2014 | 23.3% | +102.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 26.1% | 26.1% | 26.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 22.1% | 17.6% | 26.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 23.3% | 23.3% | 23.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More social development data for South Africa
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 55,177 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of in South Africa?
- Share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of in South Africa was 23.3% in 2014, according to Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 26.6% in 1993.
- What is the lowest share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2004.
- How does South Africa rank for share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 39 countries with data for 2014.
- Is share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 102.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of people who think others can be trusted vs. taken advantage of. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
% of respondents replying "Most people can be trusted" when asked "Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you need to be very careful in dealing with people?" Possible answers include "Most people can be trusted", "Do not know" and "Need to be very careful".