Which are the most irreligious nations in the world?

A recent Gallup study focused on the importance of religion for various nations around the world. The researchers asked the following question: “Is religion an important part of your daily life?”

The five least religious countries according to this study are Estonia where only 14 per cent of people consider religion an important part of their daily lives, Sweden (17 per cent), Denmark (18 per cent), Norway (20 per cent) and the Czech Republic (21 per cent). Religion is also not so important in the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia and Bulgaria. Not everyone in the EU, however, thinks this way. For example in Italy, Portugal, Poland, Romania and Greece religion is traditionally regarded as quite essential.

Generally speaking religion is according to the study more important for the third world countries. The most religious people live in Egypt, where religion was an important part of daily life for every single interviewed person. Ninety nine per cent of surveyed people in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka answered the same. Also, numerous African and South Asian countries were among the most religious. In countries of the developed world approximately 38 per cent of people think religion is important.

The Gallup analysts Steve Crabtree and Brett Pehlam say the level of religiosity is interconnected with the average standard of living. In rich countries with high literacy levels, low homicide rates, low poverty rates and so on, religion is not regarded as very important. In total all over the world 82 per cent of people consider religion important.

27 February 2009