皮尤-信仰上帝是否是道德的必要：由于经济发展、教育和年龄造成的全球差异（英文）-2020.8-39页_1mb

The Global God Divide Summary

Core Content

This report by the Pew Research Center, released on July 20, 2020, examines global attitudes toward the relationship between belief in God and morality, the role of God and prayer in people's lives, and the importance of religion across 34 countries. It highlights how these views are influenced by economic development, education, age, and political ideology.

Main Findings

Belief in God and Morality

• A median of 45% across 34 countries say belief in God is necessary to be moral and have good values.
• Emerging economies show a stronger connection between belief in God and morality, with 62% of respondents in these regions agreeing.
• Western Europe has a lower percentage, with a median of 22% believing in God as necessary for morality.
• Eastern Europe shows a higher median of 33% believing in God as necessary for morality.

Regional Variations

• In Indonesia, the Philippines, and India, nearly all (96% or more) respondents connect belief in God with morality.
• In South Korea, Japan, and Australia, the connection is weaker, with less than half of respondents in these countries believing that God is necessary for morality.
• In Lebanon, Turkey, and Tunisia, at least 70% of respondents believe that belief in God is necessary for morality.
• Israel is the only country where there is a split in opinion, with 48% on each side.

Trends Over Time

• Since 1991, belief in God as necessary for morality has increased in Russia and Ukraine, but decreased in Western Europe.
• Bulgaria and Japan have seen significant increases in the percentage of people who believe that God is necessary for morality.

Income and Education Levels

• Higher income individuals are less likely to believe that God is necessary for morality, with the largest gap in the U.S. (24 percentage points).
• More education is associated with a lower likelihood of believing in God as necessary for morality, with the biggest difference in Argentina (33 percentage points).

Age Differences

• Younger adults (18–29 years) are less likely to believe that God is necessary for morality compared to older adults (50+ years).
• The age gap exceeds 20 percentage points in South Korea, Greece, Argentina, the U.S., Mexico, Poland, Japan, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.

Ideological Divide

• Right-leaning individuals are more likely to believe that God is necessary for morality, with the largest gap in the U.S. (30 percentage points).
• Slovakia is the only country where left-leaning individuals are more likely to believe that God is necessary for morality.

Importance of Religion and Prayer

• Religion is considered important by 61% of respondents in 34 countries, while 53% say prayer is important in their daily life.
• Emerging economies show higher religious commitment, with nearly all (90% or more) believing that religion is important in their lives.
• In advanced economies, less than half of respondents (in some cases as low as 19%) consider God important in their lives.

Decline of Religious Importance in Western Europe

• Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the importance of God in life has declined in Western European countries.
• Spain, Italy, and Poland saw the most significant drops, with 26, 21, and 14 percentage points, respectively.
• Russia and Ukraine have seen significant increases in the importance of God in life, with 16 and 12 percentage point increases, respectively.
• In former Soviet states, such as Bulgaria, the importance of God has increased by 14 percentage points since 1991.

Religious Affiliation and Belief in God

• Religiously affiliated individuals are more likely to see God as important in their lives.
• Religiously unaffiliated people (atheists, agnostics, or "nothing in particular") are much less likely to believe that God is important.
• In Brazil, the Philippines, and Kenya, nearly all respondents across all religious affiliations see God as important in their lives.

Methodology and Data

• The report is based on a 2019 Global Attitudes Survey with 38,426 respondents across 34 countries.
• Surveys were conducted face-to-face in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, and by phone in North America and Asia-Pacific.
• Statistical significance is noted in all reported differences.

Conclusion

The report underscores a global divide in views about the necessity of belief in God for morality and the role of religion in daily life. These views are shaped by economic development, education, age, and political ideology, with emerging economies and older, less educated, and right-leaning individuals more likely to see a strong connection between belief in God and morality.