Working Paper: NBER ID: w20557
Authors: Naci Mocan; Luiza Pogorelova
Abstract: We exploit information on compulsory schooling reforms in 11 European countries, implemented mostly in the 1960s and 70s, to identify the impact of education on religious adherence and religious practices. Using micro data from the European Social Survey, conducted in various years between 2002 and 2013, we find consistently large negative effects of schooling on self-reported religiosity, social religious acts (attending religious services), as well as solitary religious acts (the frequency of praying). We also use data from European Values Survey to apply the same empirical design to analyze the impact of schooling on superstitious beliefs. We find that more education, due to increased mandatory years of schooling, reduces individuals' propensity to believe in the power of lucky charms and the tendency to take into account horoscopes in daily life.
Keywords: education; religion; superstition; compulsory schooling; beliefs
JEL Codes: I20; I25; K10; Z1; Z12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Compulsory schooling reforms (I21) | Educational attainment (I21) |
| Educational attainment (I21) | Self-reported religiosity (Z12) |
| Educational attainment (I21) | Attendance of religious services (Z12) |
| Educational attainment (I21) | Belief in lucky charms (Z12) |
| Educational attainment (I21) | Propensity to consult horoscopes (D91) |