Secularisation: Regional and Global Trends

Introduction

Imagine a time when religion decided everything in life — from how people dressed, to how they governed, even to how they treated diseases.
Now, compare that to today’s modern cities, where religion might still exist, but decision-making — be it in politics, education, or health — is largely independent of religious teachings.
This gradual process of religion losing its overarching control in society is called secularization.

In technical terms:

➔ Secularization refers to the long-term decline in the social and cultural influence of religion.
➔ It’s not that religion disappears completely, but it loses authority in public life and in individual worldviews.
➔ It is observed through falling religious observance (less attendance at religious events), decline in belief, and weakening of religious institutions’ power.

In advanced societies like Western Europe, this trend is especially sharp.
For instance, according to Pew Research, most Europeans still identify as Christians, but hardly attend church or practice daily religious rituals.
They are cultural Christians rather than practicing Christians.
This shift is a major cultural transformation — because society moves away from traditional values and toward rationalism (trusting logic and science) and individualism (emphasis on personal choice and freedom).

Important Distinction: Secularization vs. Secularism

We must be very clear:
➔ Secularization is a natural, gradual process — where religion’s role declines organically in society.
➔ Secularism, on the other hand, is a policy or ideology — where a state consciously separates religion from politics (like India’s constitutional secularism).

Example for clarity:

• If fewer people in France go to church because they feel it’s irrelevant → this is secularization.
• If the French government bans religious symbols in public schools → this is secularism.

Thus, secularization is a sociological process; secularism is a political stance.

Causes of Secularization

Now, why does secularization happen?
There are three major, intertwined forces — and they often overlap like strands of a braid.

1. Modernization & Urbanization

As societies industrialize and urbanize, the traditional, close-knit religious community breaks down.

➔ In a village setup, religion organizes everything — festivals, marriages, dispute resolution.
➔ In a modern city, individuals live among diverse groups — different cultures, religions, lifestyles.
People start relying more on technology, institutions, and laws, and less on religious authority.

Real-world analogy:
Think of a small village temple or mosque where everyone gathers daily — versus a big metro city where people are too busy, and religious activities are optional and infrequent.

Data Point:
In Western Europe, extremely high urbanization correlates with very low religious participation. (E.g., in Germany and Sweden, church attendance has plummeted.)

2. Rationalism and Scientific Temper

With the spread of education, science, and reasoning, people start questioning religious dogmas.
Religious explanations for natural phenomena — like diseases being punishments from gods — lose credibility against scientific understanding.

Historical trigger:

• Enlightenment Period (17th–18th centuries) in Europe emphasized rationality over faith.
• Later, Scientific Revolution further deepened this trend.

Societies thus become more focused on this-worldly concerns (improving material life) rather than other-worldly concerns (salvation, afterlife).

Simple example:
Earlier, an earthquake was seen as a punishment from God. Today, we explain it through tectonic plate movements.

3. Cultural Globalization

With global communication, migration, and internet, people are exposed to multiple belief systems.

➔ When you constantly encounter different religions, philosophies, and lifestyles, it becomes difficult to believe that only your religion has all the truth.
This weakens parochial (narrow-minded) beliefs.

Moreover, global norms — such as human rights, gender equality, and individual liberty — often conflict with conservative religious doctrines.

Real-world observation:

• Internet users worldwide encounter debates on LGBTQ rights, women’s education, freedom of expression — topics where religious conservatism often clashes with modern secular ideas.
• Thus, the spread of secular values becomes almost natural.

Summary of Causes

In short:

• Modernization and urbanization pull people away from traditional communities.
• Rationalism and science make religious explanations seem less convincing.
• Globalization introduces diversity that challenges religious exclusivity.

All these forces interact and reinforce each other, making secularization a powerful cultural trend — especially in developed regions.

Secularisation: Regional Trends

Now that we have understood what secularisation is and why it happens, the next logical step is to ask:
➔ Is secularisation happening everywhere at the same speed and in the same way?

Answer: No.
Different regions show different patterns — some are highly secularised, some moderately, and some hardly at all.

Let’s walk through the major regions one by one:

1. Europe (High Secularization)

Europe, especially Western and Northern Europe, is the poster child of secularisation.

➔ Observation: Church attendance and religious belief are extremely low.

➔ Data:

• Only about 22% of people attend church even once a month.
• Around 58% attend “seldom or never.”

Scandinavian countries like Denmark and Sweden take this even further:

• About 72% of Danes and Swedes say religion is “not important” in their lives.
• Only 36% of Swedes believe in God — the lowest among surveyed countries.

(Contrast this with Portugal, where 83% still believe in God.)

However — and this is important — cultural identity remains religious even if practice has declined:

• In Germany, 71% still identify as Christian,
• In France, 64% identify as Christian,
  but most of them are non-practicing — meaning, religion is more about heritage than daily life.

Case study of Scandinavia:

Countries like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden officially have Lutheran heritage but only around 8% are classified as “highly religious” — much lower than Catholic countries like Portugal (where it’s about 37%).

Thus, Europe shows us a clear case of cultural Christianity but practical secularisation.

2. United States (Mixed Trends)

The U.S. is a mixed story — somewhere between Europe and traditional societies.

➔ Observation: Americans are still more religious than Europeans, but secularization is advancing.

Data Points:

• About 50% of adults attend religious services monthly or more.
• Around 55% say they pray daily.

However, trends reveal a gradual decline:

• In 2007, around 78% of Americans were Christians;
• Today, it’s dropped to around mid-60%.

Meanwhile, the “nones” — those who are religiously unaffiliated — have grown to about 25–30%.

But an interesting twist:
Since around 2019, the decline in Christian affiliation has slowed down — indicating a kind of stabilization.

➔ Regional Variations:

• The Bible Belt (Southern states like Mississippi and Alabama) remains highly Christian — with 70–80% identifying as Christian.
• In contrast, states like Vermont and New Hampshire are much more secular — with less than 40% Christian population.

➔ Religious Resurgence:

Interestingly, conservative Christian sects (like evangelical megachurches and Pentecostal groups) are growing, as are immigrant religious communities — even as old mainstream churches (like Protestant denominations) are declining.

Thus, the U.S. shows both secularisation and pockets of religious revival.

3. India (Secular Constitution, Strong Religiosity)

India presents a unique and fascinating case.

➔ Constitutionally: India is secular — it guarantees freedom of religion to all citizens.
➔ Socially and culturally: Religion remains deeply woven into everyday life and politics.

Data:

According to Pew’s 2021 survey:

• About 80% of Indians across religions say they are free to practice their faith.
• Most Indians believe that respecting other religions is very important to being Indian.

However:

• Religious identity continues to be a primary social marker.
• Participation in religious festivals, temple visits, mosque prayers is commonplace.
• Religion plays a visible role in politics — whether through laws like personal laws (different for Hindus, Muslims, Christians), or symbolic moves like temple constructions.

Example:

• The rise of Hindu-majoritarian politics (Hindutva) in recent decades shows how religion can shape political discourse.
• Pew also notes that many communities prefer to live separately — a reflection of caste and communal lines.

Thus, India follows “descriptive secularism” — meaning, it declares itself secular in principle —
but “substantive secularism” — meaning religion having minimal role in public life — is far less advanced.

4. Middle East & North Africa (Low Secularization)

Finally, when we turn to the Middle East and North Africa, we find very little secularization.

➔ Religion (mainly Islam) remains deeply embedded in public and private life.

Facts:

• Many countries (like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt) declare Islam as the official state religion.
• Over 90% of people say religion is very important to them.
• Religious law (Sharia) often shapes civil law — governing marriage, inheritance, morality, etc.

Case Example:

Even Turkey, which had historically adopted laïcité (strict state secularism under Atatürk), has seen a resurgence of public Islam in recent decades.

Thus, the Middle East and North Africa remain highly religious societies, with very limited secularisation.

Summary Table

Region	Level of Secularization	Key Points
Europe	Very High	Cultural Christianity but low belief/practice
USA	Medium	Regional variation; rising “nones”
India	Low (formally secular)	Religion central to society and politics
Middle East & North Africa	Very Low	Religion dominates public and private life

Secularisation: Global Trends

After understanding regional variations, we now zoom out and ask:
➔ At the global level, what patterns do we observe?

The picture is complex — secularisation is happening, but not uniformly.
Let’s break it down:

1. Global North (Developed World)

The Global North refers to the wealthier, industrialized countries —
➔ Think North America, Western Europe, East Asia.

Trend:
Generally, higher wealth and education levels correlate with greater secularisation.

Data Evidence:

• In Western Europe, only about 11% pray daily.
  (Compare this to 55% in the U.S. and 67% in Latin America.)
• A majority of Western Europeans say religion is unimportant in their lives.
• Countries like China officially promote atheism and are among the most secular.

➔ Theory:

Higher economic security, scientific temper, and education reduce people’s dependency on religion for meaning or support.

But — an important nuance:
The trend is not purely one-way.

Some wealthy societies (e.g. United States, Australia, Japan) show either:

• Slower secularisation, or
• Stabilisation in religious adherence.

➔ Possible reasons:

• Immigration: bringing in more religious communities.
• Cultural factors: where religion remains tied to national identity or moral debates.

Thus, in the Global North, while secularisation dominates, it is not absolute.

2. Global South (Developing World)

The Global South includes Africa, Latin America, large parts of Asia, etc.
➔ Here, the situation is quite different.

Trend:

Religiosity remains strong and widespread.

Data Evidence:

• In Sub-Saharan Africa, about 83% attend religious services monthly.
• In Latin America, it’s around 64%.
• Daily prayer rates: 77% in Africa, 67% in Latin America.

In Asia, too:

• Countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have large, devout populations.

➔ Notable Case:

• Some Asian nations (like South Korea and Japan) underwent rapid modernization — leading to initial secularisation.
• But later, there was a religious or spiritual revival — such as growth in Christian minorities or Buddhist movements.

➔ Key Point:

Population growth rates are higher in highly religious countries.
Thus, demographically and culturally, religion’s influence remains strong in the Global South.

3. Religious Revivalism

Now, an interesting paradox:
➔ Even while secularisation spreads, religious revivalism is also rising.

Examples:

• Islamic revivalism:
  • Pakistan’s Zia-ul-Haq era (1977–88) promoted Islamisation.
  • Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution re-centered Islamic governance.
  • Political Islam movements grew across the Muslim world.
• Christian Pentecostalism:
  • Huge growth seen in Latin America and Africa —
    energetic, emotional, community-driven Christianity.
• Post-secular dynamics:
  • In parts of Europe and North America, despite secular norms,
    there’s been a modest return to public faith:
    • Immigrant churches thriving.
    • Religion re-entering debates on politics and identity.

Thus, modernisation does not lead simply to religion disappearing.
➔ It can also trigger religious reinvention or new fundamentalist movements.

Summary Flow

Category	Key Trend	Special Note
Global North	Increasing secularisation	But slower or stabilised in some countries
Global South	Strong religiosity	Supported by demographics and culture
Revivalism	Rise of new religious movements	Islamism, Pentecostalism, post-secular trends

Conclusion

Thus, the 21st century is not purely secular.
Instead, we see a dual movement:
➔ In some contexts, religion fades into the private realm.
➔ In others, religion resurges, sometimes even more intensely and politically than before.

Secularisation: Empirical Indices and Emerging Patterns

After understanding trends and theories, let us now examine:
➔ What do major surveys and indices reveal?
➔ What emerging patterns are visible today?

1. Key Surveys and Indices

(a) World Values Survey (WVS)

• WVS and its sister project, the European Values Study, provide cross-national data on religious beliefs and behaviors.
• Indicators Tracked:
  • Importance of God
  • Church attendance
  • Belief in supernatural forces
• Findings:
  • In many Western countries, successive generations are less religious.
  • Example:
    • Over 70% of Swedes and Danes say religion is unimportant.
    • In contrast, Nigeria and Indonesia report very high religiosity.

➔ Meaning:
Religiosity is declining generationally in parts of the West but remains strong elsewhere.

(b) Pew Research Center

• Pew’s Global Religious Futures Project and other studies offer forecasts and snapshots of global religiosity.
• Key Findings:
  • Developed countries show:
    • Shrinking religious populations
    • Growth of the “nones” (people with no religious affiliation)
  • Sub-Saharan Africa shows:
    • Rising religious affiliation
• Projection:
  • Religious “nones” globally will decline from 16% (2015) to 13% (2060)
    ➔ because of lower birth rates among non-religious populations.
• Example Data:
  • U.S. church attendance (monthly): ~50%
  • Western Europe median: 22%

(c) Other Indices

• Scholars like Ronald Inglehart and Pippa Norris created Secularization Indices — combining belief and practice surveys.
• Findings:
  • Strong correlation between higher economic development and lower religiosity.
• Other Metrics:
  • Pew’s Government Restrictions Index (GRI) (measures state restrictions on religion)
  • Gallup polls (e.g., percent who say “God is important”)
• Pattern:
  • Sharp divide between Europe (more secular) and Africa/Latin America (more religious).

2. Emerging Patterns

(a) Post-Secular Societies

Some scholars argue we are entering a “post-secular” age, where:

• Secularization plateaus.
• Religion or spirituality re-emerges — but in new forms.

Examples:

• Religion influencing European politics (e.g., immigration debates, church’s role in social issues).
• Growth of yoga, meditation, and alternative spirituality in secular Western contexts.
• In Eastern Europe (post-Communist countries), religiosity bounced back after decades of official atheism (e.g., Poland remains deeply Catholic).

At the same time:

• Traditional secular countries (e.g., France, Sweden) continue to enforce strict secularism, but also negotiate religious diversity.

➔ Thus:
Modern societies do not simply move toward complete atheism; instead, they reconfigure how religion is expressed.

(b) Secularism vs Secularization (Conceptual Distinction)

(Already discussed)

Conclusion

Thus, secularization is complex and uneven globally.

➔ General trend:

• Wealthier, more educated societies → More secular.
• Poorer or rapidly modernizing societies → Religiosity remains strong.

➔ Supported by major studies:

• World Values Survey
• Pew Research Center
• Gallup Surveys
• Inglehart-Norris indices

➔ Good Comparative Examples for UPSC:

• Sweden (highly secularized) vs Saudi Arabia (deeply religious)
• France (strict secularism) vs USA (vibrant but diverse religiosity)

In final analysis:
Modernization, globalization, and ideological shifts all interact — creating diverse religious futures across the world.