Rainer on Leadership Religious People Are Happier (And the Data Proves It)
Thom and Sam dive into Ryan Burge’s latest analysis of the 2023–2024 Pew Religious Landscape Survey, which asked nearly 37,000 Americans a simple question: “How happy are you with your life these days?” The results reveal one of the clearest and most consistent findings in social science.
Religious people report being happier than non-religious people.
While happiness is complex and influenced by many factors, the data shows that both religious belonging (identifying with a faith) and religious behavior (attending worship in person) are strongly correlated with higher life satisfaction. Online worship, while somewhat beneficial, doesn’t have the same impact as being physically present in a faith community.
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- In-Person Worship Boosts Happiness. Those who attend religious services weekly or more are nearly twice as likely to report being “very happy” as those who never attend. The most frequent attenders—about 8% of the population—are the happiest group by far.
- Online Worship Helps, But Less So. Watching services online provides a slight happiness bump, but it’s no substitute for in-person connection. The data shows little difference in happiness between non-attenders and online-only participants.
- Faith Matters Most for Younger Generations. Millennials and older members of Gen Z who attend church weekly are about twice as likely to report being “very happy” compared to their non-religious peers. The “happiness gap” is strongest among these younger cohorts.
- The Relationship Persists Across Politics and Age. Even when controlling for ideology and age, religious people (liberal, moderate, or conservative) consistently report higher happiness levels than non-religious individuals.
The takeaway is simple but profound: faithful community and consistent worship participation are powerful predictors of well-being. Or, as Dr. Burge puts it, “Highly active religious people are happier than non-religious people. There’s no other way to spin this data.”
Resources:
- “Revival of the Analog Church” by Thom S. Rainer – coming soon!
- “Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam (affiliate link)
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