Culture / 42 weeks ago

Global beliefs about the afterlife: A world values survey perspective

A recent analysis of the World Values Survey (2017–2022) has revealed significant differences in beliefs about the afterlife across the globe, with religious traditions playing a major role in shaping public views. According to the findings, countries with strong Islamic and Christian traditions show notably high levels of belief in life after death, while secular nations report much lower belief rates. Bangladesh leads the survey with an overwhelming 98.8% of respondents expressing belief in the afterlife. This is followed closely by Morocco at 96.2% and Libya at 95.2%, underscoring the deep influence of Islam in these regions. Both Ethiopia and the Philippines, where Christian and Islamic traditions dominate, also report high belief levels, with 82.4% and 83.8% of respondents, respectively, affirming a belief in life after death.