This briefing paper, written by Adam Coutts and Diego Mauricio Diaz Velásquez, defines the concept of social capital. It enables the rest of our ‘Social Capital 2025‘ project – a series of reports published by Demos, in partnership with Local Trust and 3ni.
This series examines social capital and the contribution that strengthening it makes to improving economic and social outcomes. We explore the wider impact on fostering better outcomes for children, improving health and wellbeing and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
Our first paper, Social Capital 2025: The hidden wealth of nations, introduced the project and made the case that strengthening the bonds between communities will ultimately fuel economic growth and community wellbeing and create a virtuous cycle.