The impact of crime on trust in institutions in Mexico

•Perceptions of higher insecurity decrease support and satisfaction with democracy.•Perceptions of insecurity and crime victimization reduce trust in institutions.•Trust in institutions decreases particularly in those that directly deal with crime.•States with higher drug-trafficking activity show lower trust in institutions.•Trust in institutions has deteriorated most in the northeast and northwest regions.

Using survey data from the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) and Encuesta Nacional Sobre la Inseguridad (ENSI) from Mexico during the period of 2004-2010, this paper analyses the impact of insecurity and crime victimization on support and satisfaction with democracy and trust in institutions. The analysis shows that perceptions of higher insecurity decrease support and satisfaction with democracy. We also find that perceptions of insecurity and crime victimization reduce trust in institutions, particularly in those that directly deal with crime (police and judicial system). There is regional variation in relation to trust in institutions that are associated with drug-trafficking activity.