Religious people are happier than non-religious people
Multiple empirical studies and meta-analyses demonstrate a positive correlation between religiosity and higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction.
A substantial body of retrieved literature, including meta-analyses and cross-national surveys, consistently points to a positive association between religious involvement, personal religiosity, and subjective well-being indicators such as happiness and life satisfaction. None of the retrieved papers refute the claim, leading to a verdict of supported.
Muhammad Sholihin, Hardivizon Hardivizon, Deri Wanto, Hasep Saputra. The effect of religiosity on life satisfaction: A meta-analysis. 2022. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i4.7172
A meta-analysis of multiple studies demonstrates a positive, linear effect of religiosity on life satisfaction.
See more details
Colette Sabatier, Boris Mayer, Mihaela Friedlmeier, Katarzyna Lubiewska, Gisela Trommsdorff. Religiosity, Family Orientation, and Life Satisfaction of Adolescents in Four Countries. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022111412343
Findings across four countries indicate that adolescent religiosity positively impacts life satisfaction via family orientation.
Wei Zhang, Keqing Zhang, Li-Hsueh Wu, Ruey-Ming Tsay. Religious Involvement, Education, and Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults in Taiwan.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-024-02159-5
Research in Taiwan shows that religious participation is positively associated with happiness among older adults.
C G Ellison. Religious involvement and subjective well-being.. 1991. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2007763/
Studies indicate that individuals with strong religious faith or existential certainty report higher levels of life satisfaction and happiness.
Laura Upenieks. Are Religious People Any Happier? Probing the Divine Relationship, Organizational Religiosity and the Role of Education and Income in the United States.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-025-02295-6
US data shows that greater religious attendance and stronger divine relationships are associated with greater happiness.
The paper trail · every fact has a biography
Challenge the receipt
Citation formatting by citeproc-js (Frank Bennett) and the Citation Style Language project. Source and licenses.
Terms · Privacy · How verdicts work · Dispute this receipt