Most Filipinos say religion 'very important': SWS survey

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MANILA - Most adult Filipinos believe religion is "very important" in their lives, a recent Social Weather Stations survey showed.

Among 1,200 adults surveyed in December, 83 percent said religion is very important, survey results released Sunday showed.

The survey also showed that 7 percent said religion is somewhat important, while 3 percent said it is not very important, and 7 percent said religion is not at all important.

The December 2019 results is 1 percent higher than the previous record of 82 percent in December 2016.

The survey also showed 45 percent attend religious services weekly, while 32 percent only go monthly. Twenty-two percent attend occasionally, while 0.7 percent said they never attend religious services.

The proportion of those who consider religion a very important part of their lives rose among Catholics, from 78 percent in September 2019 to 84 percent in December.

It also rose among other Christians, from 68 percent in June to 78 percent in September and December. Other Christians, according to SWS, are those other than Catholics and members of Iglesia ni Cristo.

Meanwhile, 94 percent of Muslims said religion is very important in their lives, while 69 percent of Iglesia ni Cristo members said the same.

The yearly average of weekly church-goers dropped from 46 percent in 2017 to 43 percent in 2019.

The proportion of weekly church-goers is also highest among Muslims at 97 percent, followed by Iglesia ni Cristo members at 78 percent, other Christians at 62 percent and Catholics at 39 percent.

The survey was conducted from December 13 to 16, 2019 using interviews from 300 adults each from Metro Manila, rest of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.