Religion in Emerging and Developing Regions

Sara Lowes, Benjamin Marx and Eduardo Montero

University of California at San Diego, Economics Working Paper Series from Department of Economics, UC San Diego

Abstract: This article examines the evolving relationship between religion and economic development in emerging and developing countries (EDCs). Building on large-scale survey data and recent scholarship, we document persistent and, in many regions, increasing levels of religiosity. First, we present global trends in religious beliefs and practices, highlighting a religious divergence between EDCs and high-income countries, as well as the continued prevalence of traditional belief systems alongside major world religions. Second, we analyze the determinants and consequences of religious behavior, showing how income volatility, financial insecurity, and cultural transitions sustain demand for religion. Third, we explore the institutional and political dimensions of religion in EDCs, emphasizing the role of religious institutions as public goods providers and as politically influential actors. This discussion offers a framework for understanding religious organizations as adaptive, competing platforms in pluralistic religious marketplaces. Overall, our findings suggest that religious adaptation, rather than decline, is central to understanding the future of religion and its economic implications in the developing world.

Keywords: 38 Economics (for-2020); 3801 Applied Economics (for-2020); 3803 Economic Theory (for-2020); Generic health relevance (hrcs-hc); 10 Reduced Inequalities (sdg); 3801 Applied economics (for-2020); 3803 Economic theory (for-2020) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-08-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cul
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