Does ethnic diversity reduce trust? New evidence from 16 African nations suggests otherwise. We analyze citizens' attitudes toward coethnics versus outsiders, finding a higher trust premium for own group in ethnically diverse countries overall.

Using survey data across Africa:

📍 Data & Methods: Sixteen-country public opinion poll reveals surprising patterns of intergroup trust

💡 Key Findings:

* Citizens express more ethnocentric trust (higher coethnic premium) in nationally diverse states

* This positive correlation weakens at regional and local levels, where diversity is associated with less bias toward own group

* The connection between national-level ethnic heterogeneity and increased coethnic favoritism requires spatial segregation to hold true

🌍 Significance: These findings highlight the complex relationship between macro diversity patterns and micro intergroup dynamics. They suggest that while diverse countries may see more in-group trust, this doesn't necessarily translate into better relations across groups.