Religiosity and the Spread of COVID-19: A Multinational Comparison

This article considers the relationships between population religiosity and the coronavirus pandemic situation across different countries. Country-level analyses were based on data from the World Values Survey, Worldometer, and International Monetary Fund covering information about internal (beliefs) and external (practices) religiosity, religious fundamentalism, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic situation at two time points in 47 countries. Results showed that declared attendance at religious services is related to more COVID-19 infections and deaths, as well as when controlling for gross domestic product per capita and the number of coronavirus tests per 1 million population. This effect remained in the longitudinal perspective (of six months) and extended from external religiosity only, to both internal and external religiosity indices.

Automated summary

The study revealed a correlation between the intensity of religious beliefs and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic across different countries, especially the declared attendance at religious services being associated with an increase in cases and deaths. This relationship persisted in the long term and extended from external religious practices to internal beliefs as well.