Men are less religious in more gender-equal countries

Area of Science:

• Sociology of religion
• Cross-cultural psychology
• Gender studies

Background:

• Sex differences in religiosity are common globally, with women typically more religious than men.
• Religions may offer unequal benefits, potentially impacting sex differences in religiousness across cultures.
• The varying magnitude of sex differences in religiosity across cultures requires explanation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between country-level gender equality and sex differences in religiosity.
• To explore why sex differences in religiousness vary in size across different cultural contexts.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from two large-scale global surveys (51 and 74 countries).
• Examination of religiosity measures including religious attendance, importance of God, and frequency of prayer.
• Statistical controls for country-level wealth, individual religious affiliation, moralization of sexuality, age, and education.

Main Results:

• Higher country-level gender equality was significantly associated with lower male religiousness, but not female religiousness.
• This association led to larger sex differences in religiousness in more gender-equal societies.
• Findings were robust across different religiosity measures, particularly religious attendance, and after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions:

• Gender equality appears to reduce male religiousness more than female religiousness, widening the religiosity gap in egalitarian societies.
• Results support a rational choice perspective, suggesting individuals engage with religion when it aligns with their goals.
• Cultural contexts, specifically the degree of gender equality, play a crucial role in shaping sex differences in religious behavior.