Religion, Science, Government, Economics, and Humanitarian Progress Scores in 100 Countries and 50 US States

Previous research found that religious commitment is associated with poorer health outcomes, including neglect of science-based policies for disease and injury prevention, acquiescence in or support for autocratic government, and disdain for scientists whose research calls religious dogma into question. This study uses Social Progress Index scores for 100 populous countries and 50 US states to examine their association with religious commitment, controlling statistically for income and democratic government. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate how much daily prayer frequency, income relative to the cost of living, and the degree of democratic governance predict Social Progress Index scores. In both studies, higher prayer frequency strongly predicted lower social progress. Higher per capita incomes, adjusted for the cost of living, and higher democracy scores were associated with higher social progress scores. Together, these three factors predicted an extraordinary share of the variation in the recent status of humanitarian progress.