Introduction
The relationship between religiosity, irreligion, and social well-being has been the subject of study in sociology, psychology, and political science in recent decades. Various international reports, such as the UN World Happiness Report and studies by the Pew Research Center, show a consistent pattern: countries with lower levels of religious affiliation tend to rank high on indicators of subjective well-being, human development, and social equality. This article explores the main correlations between irreligion and well-being, with particular attention to Nordic and European societies.
Global panorama of irreligion
According to Pew Research (2017), approximately 16% of the world's population identifies as "unaffiliated" with any religion. This group includes atheists, agnostics, and people who, while practicing cultural rituals, do not adhere to an organized faith. In Western and Northern Europe, irreligion affects between 40% and 70% of the population, with particularly high rates in Sweden, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.
In contrast, regions with lower levels of economic and social security—such as sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America—maintain significantly higher rates of religiosity, suggesting a link between material conditions and religious affiliation.
Subjective well-being and religiosity
The World Happiness Report 2023 ranked Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden at the top of the world in subjective well-being. These countries share three common traits:
1. High levels of irreligion or low religious practice.
2. Strong welfare states that guarantee universal education, healthcare, and pensions.
3. High interpersonal and institutional trust.
On an individual level, Gallup studies show that in poorer societies, religious people report higher levels of life satisfaction than the non-religious. However, at the national level, the trend is reversed: countries with greater irreligion tend to have higher average well-being.
Structural causes of correlation
Experts suggest that the relationship between irreligion and well-being is not one of direct causality, but rather a correlation mediated by structural factors:
- Social security: When the State guarantees protection against risks (unemployment, illness, old age), the role of religion as a support network diminishes.
- Education: Higher levels of education are associated with greater religious skepticism and a preference for scientific explanations.
- Social equality: More equitable societies have less need to resort to religious institutions as mechanisms of cohesion and support.
Case studies
- Sweden and Denmark: Countries with more than 60% of their population without religious affiliation, they lead the global well-being and have low crime rates and high institutional trust.
- Estonia: One of the most irreligious countries in the world (70% of the population unaffiliated), it shows rapid growth in the Human Development Index thanks to digital and education policies.
- Japan: Although it does not identify as entirely irreligious, its religiosity is cultural rather than dogmatic, and well-being is primarily associated with social security and economic development.
Conclusions
International evidence indicates that irreligion thrives in contexts of material well-being, institutional security, and high levels of education. In the most irreligious countries, subjective well-being is among the highest in the world, reinforcing the idea that religion plays a substitute role where states fail to guarantee protection.
The correlation does not imply that irreligion causes greater well-being, but rather that both phenomena respond to the same background: socioeconomic development and the consolidation of solid institutions.
Sources cited:
1) United Nations. World Happiness Report 2023. https://worldhappiness.report
2) Pew Research Center. The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2015–2060. https://www.pewresearch.org
3) Gallup World Poll. Religion and Wellbeing Data. https://www.gallup.com