Are women more religious than men? Gender differences in religious activity among different religious groups in the UK

Abstract

Are women more religious than men? Four religious-cultural groups in the UK were examined, using a short measure of religious activity developed to enable measurement comparable between different religious groups. Gender differences were examined among volunteers who were self-defined as Christian (n=230), Hindu (n=56), Jewish (n=157) and Muslim (n=87). Women (n=302) described themselves as significantly less religiously active than did men (n=226), but this effect was confined to the non-Christian groups. It is suggested that the general conclusion that women are more religious than men is culture-specific, and contingent on the measurement method used.