This report examines the evidence that social capital has profound consequences for a nation’s health, from building resilience and emotional health to preventing the decline into physical health problems. It makes the case that government should increase activities that strengthen social capital and networks to support people to live healthier lives.

The report is the third in a series on Social Capital 2025 that examines social capital and the contribution that strengthening it makes to improving economic and social outcomes, including for children, wellbeing and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.

Different aspects of social capital seem to have different effects and not only positive ones. By the same token, different aspects of physical and mental health respond very differently to social capital. From a policy perspective, the findings of this report suggest that interventions aimed at building social capital could have positive impacts on population health in the UK but responses need to be nuanced.

Findings

• Social capital generally shows a positive association with better health outcomes, including mental health and reduced mortality risk.  
• Different dimensions of social capital (e.g. trust, participation, network resources) have varying effects on health. While the overall impact of social capital is generally positive, the relationship is nuanced and context-dependent.
• The impact of social capital on health varies across different socioeconomic contexts, with some studies finding stronger associations in more deprived areas.
• While social capital is generally beneficial for health, some research has identified potential ‘dark sides’ or negative effects, for example, behaviours which are negative to health being prevalent in peer groups which reinforce them.