Religious Participation Linked to Happiness, Health, and Civic Engagement: A Global Analysis

Overall, the data presented in this report suggest that regular participation in a religious community is linked with higher levels of happiness and civic engagement in many countries around the world. Actively religious people tend to be happier, less likely to smoke and drink, and more likely to be involved in voluntary organizations and voting in elections. However, the relationship between religion and health is more complex, with mixed results on measures such as exercise frequency and rates of obesity.

While the exact nature of the connections between religious participation, happiness, civic engagement, and health remains unclear and needs further study, the data indicate that there are links between religious activity and certain measures of well-being in many countries. The findings suggest that societies with declining levels of religious engagement could be at risk for declines in personal and societal well-being.

As the actively religious are a minority in many countries, the future size of actively religious populations may be more consequential for well-being outcomes than the relative shares of the inactively religious and the unaffiliated. The differences between the inactively religious and the unaffiliated on key measures of well-being are relatively modest, suggesting that the actively religious may have a more significant impact on individual and societal well-being.

Overall, the study highlights the importance of religious participation in promoting happiness, civic engagement, and potentially better health outcomes in many countries. Further research is needed to better understand the complex relationships between religion and well-being and to explore the potential benefits of religious activity on individual and societal health.