Cross-National and Demographic Variations in Daily Prayer or Meditation: Insights from the Global Flourishing Study

Background: Relatively few studies have examined how daily prayer or meditation varies across: (a) countries around the world; and (b) demographic groups in diverse nations and cultures. Methods: The current study addresses these issues by analyzing data from the Global Flourishing Study (GFS), an international survey of 202,898 individuals from 22 countries collected in 2022-2023. Results: Daily prayer or meditation ranged from 10% in Japan to 92% in Nigeria. Findings from a random effects meta-analysis showed that prayer or meditation also varied across age, gender, marital status, employment status, education, religious service attendance, and immigration status in at least some countries. Even though these trends were not universal across countries, daily prayer or meditation tended to be higher among older adults, women, widows, retired people and homemakers, and those who attended religious services. Associations with both education and immigration status were complex and varied considerably across countries. Conclusion: While being mindful of the challenges of cross-national research, findings do suggest substantial variation in daily prayer or meditation across countries, cultures, and demographic characteristics. This work lays the foundation for future longitudinal GFS studies on the causes and consequences of prayer or meditation in a global context.