Love thy neighbour? Violent armed conflict and trust: evidence from Ethiopia

Investigates the effects of exposure to violent conflict on trust among young adults.

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of exposure to violent conflict on trust among young adults in Ethiopia, using novel individual-level conflict data collected via audio computer-assisted self-interviewing. Overall the authors found that greater exposure to violence decreased trust towards individuals living in the same neighbourhood but had no significant effect on generalized trust or trust in individuals from other neighbourhoods.

This research is part of the Young Lives at Work programme.

Citation

Freund R and Favara M. ‘Love thy neighbour? Violent armed conflict and trust: evidence from Ethiopia’ Journal of Development Economics 2026: volume 182

Love thy neighbour? Violent armed conflict and trust: evidence from Ethiopia

Updates to this page

Published 1 May 2026