A recent survey found that Prague residents have lower levels of trust in other people than inhabitants of many other European capitals. In this respect, Prague is said to resemble cities in Turkey and the Balkans more closely.
The survey focuses on interpersonal trust – that is, the extent to which people trust those who live around them, share public spaces with them, and form the society of which they are a part.
The study also addresses people’s sense of safety. It examines the condition of public spaces, residents’ experiences, the presence of socially excluded areas, and concerns related to moving around the city at night. According to the findings, most of Prague residents do not generally feel safe in their environment.
Prague is often portrayed as a prosperous metropolis with low unemployment and a rich cultural scene. However, interpersonal trust tends to weaken in environments where people face long-term economic insecurity or intense competition and social selection. Under such circumstances, overall trust is usually lower.
In a way, I recently pointed this out in connection with another survey: low unemployment does not necessarily mean a high quality of life. It merely indicates that unemployment levels are low. Wages, living costs, and, in some cases, opportunistic behaviour provide a clearer picture of people’s actual living standards. If we look at how people genuinely experience their quality of life, some countries certainly do not feel like they belong among the world’s top twenty richest nations.
In a way, although society is supposed to be secure and prosperous due to the high level of employment, shoplifting has indeed increased according to police statistics. In March 2026, it was reported that the number of these cases had risen by approximately 15% compared with the previous year.
