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In 36 surveyed countries, people people about the importance of religion for national identity are greatly different.
Large shares in medium income countries say that a member is a historically prevailing religion in his country very It is important to truly share the national identity – for example, to be truly a Philippine or truly Nigerian. In high -income countries, however, many instead say that religion is not at all Important for national identity.
We asked people in 36 countries if it was important to be a member of a particular religion to “truly” share national identity.
In each country, we chose a historically prevailing religion of the country. For example, in the United States, where Christianity has has long been most religionsWe asked about the importance of Christians to be truly an American. And in Thailand, where the vast majority of the population is Buddhist, we wondered about the importance of being Buddhist to be truly Thai.
In Japan, Nigeria and South Korea, we asked all respondents separately about two religions. In Japan we asked Io Buddhism and for Shinto. A significant part of the population there identifies as Buddhist but Shinto is Have long been related to national identityand a quarter of adult Japan says they are Feel a personal relationship to the shinto lifestyle.
In Nigeria, large sections of the population identify as or a Christian or Muslimso we asked both religions separately. In South Korea because significant shares identify as or Christian or BuddhistWe asked about both religions.
Here’s a list of religions that are asked in every country:
| Religion | Earth |
|---|---|
| Christianity | United States, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, UK, Australia, Filipini, South Korea, Gana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexino, Peru |
| Islam | Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Turkey, Tunisia |
| Buddhism | Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand |
| Hinduism | India |
| Judaism | Israel |
| Shinto | Japan |
The importance of religion for a sense of nationality varies within countries and countries.
- People who identify with historically prevailing religion in their country They are more likely than those who do not say that a member of that religion is very important for national identity.
- People who pray daily They are more likely than those who are less likely to say that belonging to prevailing religion is very important to share national identity.
- Older adults They are more likely than younger people to view religion as the central part of the national identity.
- The people of ideological rights It is more likely more likely than those on the left to say that the follower of the historically prevailing religion of their country is very important to be truly part of the nation.
How important is religion important for nationality?
The importance of religion for national identity varies largely in 36 surveyed countries. As many as 86% in Tunisia says that Muslim very Important for Tunisian identity, while only 3% of the Swedes say that he is a Christian in Sweden.
Views are somewhat varied when comparing countries with high and medium income.
The vast majority in many medium income countries, citing about three-quarters or more in Indonesia, Philippines and Tunisia-considering that part of the historically prevailing religion of their country is very important for the true sharing of national identity. And in each surveyed country with medium income, about a quarter or more say.
In high -income countries, much smaller shares emphasize religion as an aspect of national identity. Israel stands out as the only high-income country in which at least the third say after the prevailing religion- Judaism, In this case it is – a very important element of national identity.
In other high -income countries, less than a quarter agrees strongly. And in many high -income countries about half or more say that being a member of a historically prevailing religion not at all It is important to be a true member of the nation.
From countries where we asked about the importance of Christianity To national identity, the Philippines point out: almost three quarters say that the Christian is very important for truly a Filipinac. About two -thirds of Kenyan also say that he is truly Kenyan.
In contrast, a significant majority in Spain (71%) and Sweden (69%) say to be a Christian not at all Important for nationality.
Views are also mixed throughout the countries where we asked about importance Buddhism. In Thailand (61%) and Sri Lanka (56%), most say that Buddhist is very important for truly Thai and Sri Lankana.
But in South Korea only 4% occupies a similar position and about half say to be a buddhist not at all It is important to be truly South Korean. (In South Korea we also asked about Christianity; 14% of adults say that being a Christian is very important to be truly South Korean.)
And in countries where we asked about the importance Islam, approximately half or more say that Muslim very an important part of national identity. Among the Indonesian adults, eight-in-decene say that a Muslim is very important to be truly Indonesian.
In India, where we asked about the importance Hinduism, 64% say that Hinduistic is very important to be truly Indians.
Countries with more historically prevailing religions
In Japan, Nigeria and South Korea we asked more than one historically prevailing religion: Buddhism and Shinto in Japan, Christianity and Islam in Nigeria, and Christianity and Buddhism in South Korea. In all three countries, there are relatively small differences in shares that say that a member of any religion is very important for national identity.
In Japan and South Korea, shares that emphasize the importance of religion are relatively small, regardless of the religion in question. For example, in Japan 6% say Buddhist is very important to be truly Japanese, while 5% says the same as Shinto. In Nigeria, however, significant shares say that a Christian (49%) is very important to be truly Nigerian, and 48% say a Muslim is very important for truly Nigerian.
How is religion compared in importance with other aspects of national identity?
Compared to other aspects of the national identity we asked-Jezik, the birthplace and customs and traditions-religion has a tendency to rank or close to the bottom in terms of importance, especially in high-income countries. (Data on the place of birth, language and customs come from 2023 for some countries. See upper line for more information.)
Israel is the only country with a high income in which religion makes it not The least important than four aspects of national identity. Instead, among the Israelites, the Jew (34%) is in second place only to speak Hebrew (43%) in evaluating what is very important for truly Israel.
Tunisia stands out as the only country that is a survey in which religion is ranked most Important for four components of national identity we asked about. In Indonesia, about three quarters of adults or more say that each component is very important for national identity-relay is related to customs and traditions, which is ranked elsewhere.
For more analysis of the importance of different dimensions of national identity, read “What makes someone” truly “belong to a country? Views differ about the importance of language, birth and other factors.”
How are the views of the importance of religion for national identity distinguish?
In every country where the sample size allows such analysis, People who identify with historically prevailing religion are more likely than those who do not say that a member of that religion is very important to share national identity.
Adults associated with religion are more consistently more likely than religiously inappropriate (those who are atheist, agnostic or “nothing special”) to say that it is very important to be part of the historically prevailing religion of their country to be a part of his citizenship. But the share of unrelated ones who consider it very important greatly.
In some countries with high revenues (such as Australia, Canada, France, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Sweden), almost none of the unrelated residents sees that the country’s religion is very important. However, in some medium income countries (including Brazil, Colombia, Peru and South Africa), about five or more inappropriate, they consider it very important, even if they are not connected themselves.
Views with religiosity
In many countries, people who are at least daily praying are more likely than those who are less often asking for religion are very important for national identity.
For example, approximately seven to eight Malaysians who pray at least daily (69%) say that a Muslim is very important to be truly Malaysian, compared to a third of the Malaysians who are less frequently molesty of 36 percent points.
And in South Korea, almost half of adults who pray daily (46%) say that the Christian is very important to be truly South Korean, while 3% of those who pray less. South Koreans who pray daily are also slightly more likely than those who are less often prayed to say that Buddhist is very important for truly South Korean (8% compared to 2%).
Views of age
Older adults in many countries are more likely that younger people say that part of the historically prevailing religion in the country is a very important part of national identity. (These differences last and after statistically controlled levels of religiosity.)
This gap is the largest in Thailand, where about three quarters of adults at the age of 50 and more say that the Buddhist is very important to be truly Thai, while about four adults between the ages of 18 and 34, say the same-difference of 31. points
Ideology attitudes
An observed importance of religion for national identity also varies from ideology. People from the ideological right tend to have more likely that those who were on the ideological left to be a member of the historically prevailing religion are very important for the true sharing of their national identity.
In Turkey, for example, three quarters of those on the right say that a Muslim is very important for truly Turkey, while about a third on the left says the same. And in the US, about a third of the conservatives say that a Christian is very important for truly American, while 6% of liberals agree.
Views of the support of the populist party
In some European countries, supporters of right -wing populist parties give more importance to religion as an element of nationality.
For example, in Poland, for example, four -time supporters of the legal and justice (PIS) party (PIS) say that the Christian is very important for true Polish, while about one of a dozen non -Supporants say the same (40% compared to 11 11 compared to 11 in 11 Relationship to 11. %). A similar pattern is shown among the supporters of right -wing populist parties in France, Hungary, Italy, Spain and the UK. (For more information on how we classify populist parties, read Addition.)