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Religious/Spiritual Connection and Subjective Wellbeing Around the World: A Cross-Sectional Analysis with Nationally
Richard G Cowden1,2, Telli Davoodi3, Pablo Diego-Rosell3
1Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. rcowden@fas.harvard.edu.
Journal of Religion and Health
|August 13, 2025
Summary
Globally, most people feel spiritually connected, and this connection is linked to higher subjective wellbeing. This study used new measures to explore religious/spiritual connection across 121 countries.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Global Health
Background:
- Scholarship on wellbeing often overlooks non-Western perspectives.
- The Global Wellbeing Initiative aims to create more inclusive research instruments.
- Existing research lacks a comprehensive understanding of religious/spiritual connection globally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the global distribution of religious/spiritual connection.
- To examine the association between religious/spiritual connection and subjective wellbeing worldwide.
- To address the Western-centricity in wellbeing research.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2021 Gallup World Poll, including 125,843 participants from 121 countries.
- Employed a newly developed measure of religious/spiritual connection.
- Conducted cross-sectional analyses, adjusting for relevant covariates.
Main Results:
- A majority of individuals globally reported frequent feelings of religious/spiritual connection.
- Religious/spiritual connection varied by geographic region and country.
- A small, positive association was found between religious/spiritual connection and subjective wellbeing globally, replicated in many regions.
Conclusions:
- Religious/spiritual connection is widespread globally and positively associated with subjective wellbeing.
- Findings contribute to a more inclusive understanding of wellbeing across diverse cultures.
- The study provides a foundation for longitudinal research on religious/spiritual connection and wellbeing.
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