A Different Perspective on the Assessment of the Impact of Religiosity on Economic Development in Modern Conditions

This study explores the impact of religiosity on global economic development, highlighting how religious restrictions can impede progress. Using data from 145 countries, categorised into Christian, Islamic, and Other Religious groups (including Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, and Judaism), we conducted extensive analyses employing Python and EViews software. The study applied non-linear regression and correlation analysis to examine the relationships between religiosity levels, GDP per capita, freedom index, IQ index, corruption index, and average life expectancy.Key findings indicate that higher levels of religiosity are inversely correlated with positive economic indicators and directly correlated with negative ones. The detrimental effect of increased religiosity on economic development is mediated by intermediate factors such as the freedom index, IQ index, and education level. Furthermore, economic development is closely tied to the freedom index, with countries under "Other Religions" showing the highest freedom and IQ scores alongside the lowest religiosity levels. Christian-majority countries rank second, while Islamic-majority countries rank last.The model predicts that a reduction in religiosity levels corresponds with increases in the freedom index, anti-corruption index, and IQ index, underscoring the potential benefits of secularisation for economic development.