2017

Global Views on
Religion
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1 Ipsos.
Ipsos
 OVERALL ATTITUDES
TO RELIGION

2 Ipsos
A majority respect religious people but are divided on religions impact on the world and
its importance for a moral life.
Religion does more harm in the world than good
STRONGLY AGREE
20% 29% 31% 20%
SOMEWHAT AGREE
My religion defines me as a person SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
14% 24% 25% 37%
STRONGLY DISAGREE
I am completely comfortable being around people who have different religious beliefs than me
33% 41% 18% 8%

I lose respect for people when I find out that they are not religious
4% 11% 25% 60%

Religious people are better citizens

8% 24% 31% 37%

Religious practices are an important factor in the moral life of my countrys citizens
15% 35% 29% 21%

3 Ipsos. Base: 17401 adults aged 16-64 across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Serbia, Peru, July 2017
 Half of people around the world think that religion does more harm than good but
views vary greatly between some countries.
Strongly/Somewhat Agree
To what extent do you Total 49%
agree or disagree with the Belgium 68%
Germany 63%
following statements? Spain 63%
Religion does more harm Australia 63%
India 62%
in the world than good? Sweden 62%
Great Britain 62%
France 61%
Canada 55%
Hungary 53%
Argentina 49%
Poland 49%
Italy 47%
Serbia 43%
Mexico 43%
Turkey 40%
United States 39%
South Africa 39%
Peru 38%
Brazil 37%
South Korea 36%
Russia 36%
Japan 26%

4 Ipsos. Base: 17,401 adults aged 16-64 across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Serbia, Peru, July 2017
 Two in five people around the world say their religion defines them as a person this is
most true for Indians and South Africans.
Strongly/Somewhat Agree
To what extent do you Total 38%
agree or disagree with the India 70%
South Africa 66%
following statements? Turkey 56%
My religion defines me Poland 54%
Serbia 51%
as a person. Brazil 50%
United States 49%
Russia 47%
Italy 47%
Peru 44%
South Korea 37%
Argentina 32%
Mexico 31%
Spain 29%
Hungary 29%
Canada 28%
Australia 27%
Germany 25%
Belgium 25%
France 23%
Great Britain 23%
Sweden 17%
Japan 14%

5 Ipsos. Base: 17,401 adults aged 16-64 across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Serbia, Peru, July 2017
 The majority in all countries feel completely comfortable being around people of
different religions.
Strongly/Somewhat Agree
To what extent do you Total 74%
agree or disagree with the South Africa 90%
Serbia 89%
following statements? United States 88%
I am completely Canada 86%
Great Britain 85%
comfortable being around India 85%
people who have different Turkey 85%
Australia 84%
religious beliefs than me. Sweden 81%
Russia 75%
Poland 74%
Argentina 74%
Hungary 72%
Brazil 70%
Spain 69%
Italy 68%
Mexico 66%
Peru 66%
South Korea 65%
Germany 64%
France 63%
Belgium 62%
Japan 58%

6 Ipsos. Base: 17,401 adults aged 16-64 across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Serbia, Peru, July 2017
 Most countries are tolerant of people without religious beliefs although more Indians
report this as an issue compared to others.
Strongly/Somewhat Agree
To what extent do you Total 16%
agree or disagree with India 46%
Turkey 24%
the following statements? South Africa 21%
I lose respect for people Brazil 20%
United States 19%
when I find out that they South Korea 19%
are not religious. Peru 18%
Poland 18%
Italy 17%
Spain 15%
Mexico 13%
Australia 12%
Germany 12%
Belgium 11%
Canada 10%
Argentina 10%
Great Britain 10%
Russia 10%
Japan 10%
France 9%
Serbia 9%
Sweden 7%
Hungary 6%

7 Ipsos. Base: 17,401 adults aged 16-64 across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Serbia, Peru, July 2017
 Only one third of countries think that religious people make better citizens
but this varies greatly between some countries, including India and Japan
Strongly/Somewhat Agree
To what extent do you Total 32%
agree or disagree with India 62%
South Africa 54%
the following Brazil 54%
statements? United States 45%
Russia 44%
Religious people are Turkey 43%
better citizens. Peru 41%
Poland 36%
Serbia 31%
Mexico 31%
Italy 29%
Argentina 28%
Canada 25%
South Korea 25%
Australia 25%
Hungary 23%
Great Britain 22%
Spain 20%
Belgium 18%
Germany 17%
France 16%
Sweden 13%
Japan 11%

8 Ipsos. Base: 17,401 adults aged 16-64 across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Serbia, Peru, July 2017
 but on average, countries are more split on whether or not religious practices
are important to a moral life.
Strongly/Somewhat Agree
To what extent do you Total 50%
agree or disagree with the India 78%
South Africa 76%
following statements? Brazil 70%
Religious practices are an Peru 69%
United States 66%
important factor in the Turkey 63%
moral life of my countrys Poland 62%
Mexico 60%
citizens. Italy 55%
Serbia 53%
Argentina 50%
Russia 49%
South Korea 44%
Australia 44%
Canada 43%
Germany 40%
Spain 39%
Great Britain 37%
Hungary 37%
France 34%
Belgium 33%
Sweden 31%
Japan 15%

9 Ipsos. Base: 17,401 adults aged 16-64 across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Serbia, Peru, July 2017
 Methodology
These are the findings of the Global @dvisor Immigration tracker 2011-2017. In total 17,401 interviews were conducted
between 24 June and 8 July 2017 among adults aged 18-64 in the US and Canada, and adults aged 16-64 in all other countries.
The survey was conducted in 23 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel system. The countries reporting herein are
across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland,
Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Serbia and Peru.
Between 500 and 1000+ individuals participated on a country by country basis via the Ipsos Online Panel. The sample was 1000+
in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Stated of America. In all
other countries the sample was 500+. The precision of Ipsos online polls is calculated using a credibility interval with a poll of
1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points. For more information on Ipsos use
of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.
In countries where internet penetration is approximately 60% or higher the data output generally reflects the overall population.
Of the 25 countries surveyed online, 17 yield results that are balanced to reflect the general population: Argentina, Australia,
Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Great Britain
and the United States. The 5 remaining countries surveyed Brazil (58%), India (19%), Mexico (44%), South Africa (49%) and
Turkey (51%) - have lower levels of internet connectivity and reflect online populations that tend to be more urban and have
higher education/income than the general population.
Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple responses or the exclusion of don't knows or
not stated responses.
Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.

10 Ipsos.
For more information

David Elliott Lucy Hedt

Director, Ipsos Public Project manager, Ipsos
Affairs AUS Public Affairs AUS
david.elliott@ipsos.com Lucy.hedt@ipsos.com
+61 (02) 9900 5159 +61 (03) 9946 0832

11 Ipsos.
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