Religiosity and Volunteering in Global Perspective

This research builds on previous studies and explores the role played by religion at the individual and contextual levels on the likelihood of formal volunteering across 113 countries contained in the Gallup World Poll (GWP). As with previous studies investigating these relationships in smaller country samples, religiously affiliated people are more likely to volunteer than the unaffiliated, and religious service attendance accounts for a significant degree of this association. Controlling for service attendance, respondents with a Hindu and Jewish affiliation are no more likely to volunteer than the unaffiliated. A diverse religious context is positively associated with volunteering. Belonging to a religious minority group in a country is associated with an increased likelihood of volunteering.