Social capital

This report by Local Trust and 3ni challenges traditional approaches to social mobility that focus solely on education and individual talent, arguing they fail to address deep-rooted inequalities. Instead, it advocates for a neighbourhood-level strategy that strengthens local economies and community networks to foster upward mobility in England’s most disadvantaged areas. Drawing on definitions and frameworks by Kawachi, Szreter, and Woolcock, the report outlines three types of social capital—bonding, bridging, and linking—and emphasizes that bridging capital is especially effective in connecting individuals to broader opportunities.

In March 2025, 3ni and Local Trust partnered with St George’s House, Windsor, to hold a consultation event on the topic of social capital. Bringing together a range of experts including academics, national and local government officials, as well as representatives of community and civil society organisations, the consultation reviewed the current state of social capital in England. The discussion went on to consider how social capital should be built and maintained by policymakers at national, regional and sub-regional levels, with an emphasis on its importance for fostering healthy and resilient communities. This report aims to reflect the consensus that emerged from these discussions and not the detailed policy positions of the organisations that participated.

This short briefing note looks at where the term originates, the many definitions of social capital, and why the authors alighted on the definition used.

This first paper by Andy Haldane, RSA CEO and Professor David Halpern, President of the Behavioural Insights Team, examines the economic benefits of strengthening social capital and makes the case for investing in the relationships, networks and trust that underpin strong communities and economies.

The second report in the series, written by expert academics Adam Coutts and Diego Mauricio Diaz Velásquez, reviews the UK and international evidence on the role of social capital in enhancing children’s and families’ outcomes in disadvantaged areas.

The third report, written by Adam Coutts, Shuting Xia and Senhu Wang examines research from the social sciences, social epidemiology, public health and psychology between 2000 and 2024 on the relationship between social capital, mental health, mortality risk and health behaviours.

The final paper in the series, written by Adam Coutts and Mags Lesiak, analyses the relationship between social capital and crime. It asks a fundamental question: does a person’s social capital reduce the risk that they will break the law? It also makes recommendations on how policy interventions aimed at reducing crime should recognise the role played by social capital investment in fostering better environments and collective efficacy.