In this article, we look at the 20 most religious countries in the world. You can skip our detailed analysis on religious commitment by country, and head over directly to the 5 Most Religious Countries in the World.
The PEW Research Center in 2018 identified how religious commitment varies by country and region among people of all age groups. The four standard measures they surveyed respondents over were: affiliation with religion, importance of religion in their lives, whether they pray daily, and whether or not they attend a weekly religious service.
Globally, 88% of the population was affiliated with religion. 54% of the world regards religion as very important in their lives. 49% pray daily, and 39% attend a weekly worship service. Africa is the most religious region in the world, followed by the Middle East, South Asia, and Latin America. In contrast, Europe and America have generally less religious people.
Based on our analysis from the data sourced from PEW, Nigeria is the most religious country in the world, while China is the world’s least religious nation, where only 3% of the population regarded religion as very important, and just 1% prayed daily and attended a religious service once a week.
Religiosity and Economic Growth
A study by J. Callen and X. Fang of the University of Washington, titled Religion and Stock Price Crash Risk, found evidence that companies headquartered in counties that were more religious than others had lower levels of stock price crash risk because as a set of social norms, religion helps curb bad-news-hoarding activities by managers. Findings of the National Bureau of Economic Research in a research published by Robert J. Barro and Rachel M. McCleary also stated that there is a positive relationship between religiosity and economic growth, as religious beliefs influence traits and behaviors’ that enhance economic performance. Religion establishes ethical norms and social standards that are conducive to a stable economy.
On the other hand, a study in Science Advances has stated that secular countries can expect prosperity, as a decline in religiosity influences economic growth. Researchers from the University of Bristol in the UK, and University of Tennessee worked on this research which measured the importance of religion in 109 countries between 1900-2000. However, Damian Ruck, one of the lead researchers said that the relationship between secularism and economic progress is not causal; development would only occur if secularism is accompanied with human rights. He also added that this study was not to suggest that religious countries cannot become prosperous.
Religion in the Corporate World
There are many companies in the US that are considered to have religious influences, which in most cases, they inherited from the values of their founding fathers, or were developed over time. Chick-fil-A, for instance, is a large American fast food chain that stays closed on Sunday. The company’s website mentions that this decision was taken by its founder in 1946 to allow employees a day off to rest or worship.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) is another such company that embraces workplace spirituality. Its core values talk about being a faith-friendly organization. Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) also has a chaplain program that provides pastoral care to employees in need. It is one of the largest food companies in the United States and the second largest exporter of beef in the country. Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) is forecasted to generate sales of over $50 billion in 2023.
Alaska Airlines, owned by the Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) for decades, used to provide prayer-cards with its in-flight meals. This was a tradition the airline went on with from the 1970s until 2012 when it decided to end the practice. Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) said it made the decision to stop providing prayer-cards with meals to respect the diverse religious beliefs of the airline’s passengers and employees. Alaska Airlines is the fifth largest airline in North America. Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) recorded a revenue of $9.1 billion in 2022.
Methodology
We have ranked the 20 most religious countries in the world using a 2018 report by the PEW Research Center that surveyed respondents in over 100 countries on four metrics – their affiliation with a religion, whether they attended a weekly religious service, if they pray daily, and if they considered religion ‘very important’ or not. Equal weightage has been assigned to all metrics, and their percentages were summed to get an aggregated score. We have listed the most religious countries in the world based on these scores, in ascending order. In the case where two or more countries had the same score, we outranked one over the other using the metrics related to the percentage of people in these countries that consider religion ‘very important’.
Let’s now head over to the list of the most religious countries in the world.
20. Tanzania
Affiliation with religion: 99%
Weekly worship attendance: 82%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 56%
Perception of religion as very important: 93%
Score: 3.30
Tanzania is a country in East Africa with over 63 million people that are predominantly Christian, but has a sizable Muslim minority which makes up for nearly a third of the country’s overall population.
19. Congo
Affiliation with religion: 96%
Weekly worship attendance: 78%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 69%
Perception of religion as very important: 88%
Score: 3.31
Located in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is next on our list. 88% of the respondents in the country regarded religion as ‘very important’, according to the PEW Research Survey.
18. Rwanda
Affiliation with religion: 99%
Weekly worship attendance: 80%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 62%
Perception of religion as very important: 90%
Score: 3.31
An estimated 99% of Rwanda’s population affiliated themselves with a religion and 80% attend a weekly religious service. Over 70% of Rwanda’s population is Christian, while about a quarter of them follow indigenous beliefs.
17. Uganda
Affiliation with religion: 100%
Weekly worship attendance: 82%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 66%
Perception of religion as very important: 86%
Score: 3.34
Uganda is a Christian-majority country in East Africa. It ranks among the most religious countries in the world, with 86% of the respondents considering religion as a very important part of their lives.
16. Guatemala
Affiliation with religion: 94%
Weekly worship attendance: 75%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 82%
Perception of religion as very important: 89%
Score: 3.40
Guatemala is located south of Mexico, and is popular for its ancient Mayan sites. 94% of the population in Guatemala is affiliated with a religion. The country is majority Christian, with three-fourths of the respondents saying they attend a weekly religious service.
15. Cameroon
Affiliation with religion: 98%
Weekly worship attendance: 70%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 82%
Perception of religion as very important: 90%
Score: 3.40
Known for its wildlife, Cameroon is a country in Central Africa where 90% of the population regard religion as ‘very important’. Nearly 70% of Cameroon’s population is Christian, while about 21% identify themselves as Muslim.
14. Chad
Affiliation with religion: 97%
Weekly worship attendance: 77%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 83%
Perception of religion as very important: 86%
Score: 3.43
Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa. 83% of the population in Chad pray daily, while 77% attend a weekly religious service. It ranks 14th on the list of the most religious countries in the world.
13. Ethiopia
Affiliation with religion: 100%
Weekly worship attendance: 82%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 65%
Perception of religion as very important: 98%
Score: 3.45
Next on the list is Ethiopia. It is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and ranks fifth in the list of 20 Countries with the Highest Rate of Economic Growth in 5 Years. Ethiopia is a highly religious country, with Christianity being the religion of the majority. Muslims also form a sizable minority of the overall population.
12. Kenya
Affiliation with religion: 100%
Weekly worship attendance: 81%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 79%
Perception of religion as very important: 87%
Score: 3.47
100% of the Kenyans surveyed by PEW associated themselves with a religion. More than 85% of the population is Christian. 87% of all Kenyans consider religion as ‘very important’ in their lives.
11. Ghana
Affiliation with religion: 99%
Weekly worship attendance: 84%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 76%
Perception of religion as very important: 89%
Score: 3.48
Ghana is located in West Africa, and is home to nearly 33 million people. It is a Christian majority country where they make up for nearly three-fourths of the population. 76% of Ghanaians pray daily and 84% attend a weekly religious service for worship.
10. Liberia
Affiliation with religion: 100%
Weekly worship attendance: 79%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 80%
Perception of religion as very important: 90%
Score: 3.49
Liberia is the 10th most religious country in the world. Four-fifths of Liberians identify themselves as Christian, while 10% of the population is Muslim. Religion is an important part of the lives of the majority of Liberians.
9. Afghanistan
Affiliation with religion: 100%
Weekly worship attendance: 61%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 96%
Perception of religion as very important: 92%
Score: 3.49
Afghanistan is located at the crossroads of South and Central Asia. The country has had a theocratic government since 2021. Approximately 99.7% of Afghanistan’s population is Muslim.
8. Indonesia
Affiliation with religion: 100%
Weekly worship attendance: 72%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 84%
Perception of religion as very important: 93%
Score: 3.49
Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country in the world. It is also the world’s fourth most populous country. 93% of Indonesians consider religion as ‘very important’. Indonesia is projected to be among the top five largest economies in the world by 2050.
7. Zambia
Affiliation with religion: 99%
Weekly worship attendance: 86%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 78%
Perception of religion as very important: 91%
Score: 3.54
95.5% of Zambia’s population is Christian. The southern African nation is one of the most religious countries in the world with 91% of the population regarding religion as very important in their lives. 86% of Zambians attend a weekly religious service, while 78% worship daily.
6. Mali
Affiliation with religion: 100%
Weekly worship attendance: 79%
Percentage of people who pray daily: 81%
Perception of religion as very important: 94%
Score: 3.54
Mali is a country in West Africa, where Muslims make up for nearly 95% of the overall population. It is one of the most religious countries in the world, with more than four-fifths of the population praying daily.
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Disclosure: None. 20 Most Religious Countries in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.