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Community participation in secular and religious contexts across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries

Ying Chen,B. Case,K. N. G. Long,R. Woodberry,Eric S. Kim,R. Padgett,B. R. Johnson,T. J. VanderWeele

Published 2025 in Scientific Reports

ABSTRACT

In an increasingly fragmented and isolated world, community participation remains an essential source of social connection. However, how community participation varies across countries and sociodemographic groups remains unclear. Using data from 202,898 adults across 22 countries, we examined participation in both secular and religious communities across sociodemographic groups. There was substantial cross-national variation in participation rates for both secular and religious communities. On average across countries, younger, male, single, and more educated people were more likely to participate weekly+ in secular groups. Notably, people who attended religious services were also more likely to engage in secular groups, suggesting these forms of participation may be complementary rather than substitutive. Conversely, older, married or widowed, and less educated people attended religious services more often. Country-specific analyses further suggest that sociodemographic variation in community participation differed across countries, indicating diverse societal influences. These findings pave the way for future investigations into how sociocultural factors shape community participation across different national contexts.

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