This article is a theoretical and empirical study of the phenomenon of social trust. It is shown that trust is a consequence of a complex process of formation of the properties of society, due to the economic conditions in society, the system of central institutions, as well as the totality of values and attitudes rooted in culture.

The article focuses on the inextricable link between trust and risk. The balance between trust and risk is a key factor for successful interaction in any sphere of life, therefore, the author considers objective risk factors and their possible impact on the level of trust. Despite this, risk remains an important factor that significantly influences the behavior of society.

The empirical foundation of the study is the data from the research base of the World Values Research project, which included data on Kazakhstan. This project is a worldwide scientific research project that explores the values of people, how they change over time, and what impact they have on the socio-political life of society. The project was developed to test the hypothesis that economic and technological changes are transforming the core values and motivations of the public in industrialized countries, and these changes will occur gradually in developing countries.