Belief in God Increases With Age, Expectation of Death, Survey Finds

Japan Least Faithful Nation, According to University of Chicago Researchers

A research report by the University of Chicago on belief in God across a number of countries has found that faith increases with age, but the number of those certain of the existence of God has declined, with the lowest number of faithful people reported in Japan.

The university's National Opinion Research Center (NORC) concluded, based on analysis of surveys collected in 1991, 1998 and 2008, that when people enter old age and begin their final years, they become more convinced that there is a God – over 43 percent of those aged 68 and older claimed that certainty. However, only 23 percent of those 27 and younger said they were as confident in God's existence.

"Looking at differences among age groups, the largest increases in belief in God most often occur among those 58 years of age and older. This suggests that belief in God is especially likely to increase among the oldest groups, perhaps in response to the increasing anticipation of mortality," explained researcher Tom Smith in a statement. Read more