Does Church Attendance Increase Charity?

• 🙏 A longitudinal study in New Zealand found that regular church attendance significantly increases charitable giving and volunteering.
• 📊 Advanced statistical modeling confirmed a causal relationship between religious participation and generosity, distinguishing it from mere correlation.
• 💰 If all New Zealand adults attended church regularly, national charitable donations could rise by approximately NZD 2.4 billion.
• 🏠 Churchgoers were more likely to receive and provide social support, reinforcing the role of religious communities in aiding those in need.
• 🔬 Future research may explore how the psychological and social mechanisms of faith influence long-term prosocial behavior.

Does Church Attendance Increase Charity?

Does attending religious services make people more charitable? The relationship between faith and generosity has long been debated, but new research provides fresh insights into whether religious participation actively fosters increased charitable giving. A recent longitudinal study in New Zealand used advanced statistical techniques to analyze the causal effects of church attendance on donations and volunteering, shedding light on how faith-based communities shape prosocial behavior.

The Link Between Faith and Generosity

For decades, studies have consistently shown that religious individuals tend to donate more to charity and volunteer more time compared to non-religious individuals. However, the challenge in interpreting these trends lies in distinguishing causation from correlation. Are religious teachings and communal worship actively driving philanthropic behavior, or are generous people naturally more inclined to engage with religious communities? Understanding this distinction is essential for policymakers, religious leaders, and charitable organizations aiming to mobilize generosity within society.

The Role of Religious Teachings in Generosity

Many religious doctrines encourage acts of charity and compassion as core virtues. For example:

• Christianity emphasizes almsgiving, tithing, and supporting the less privileged through teachings such as “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
• Islam mandates Zakat, requiring Muslims to contribute a portion of their wealth to those in need.
• Judaism encourages Tzedakah, which is viewed as an ethical obligation to help others.
• Hinduism and Buddhism promote Dana, the practice of selfless giving for spiritual merit.

These faith-based motivations suggest that engaging with religious communities may reinforce charitable habits—whether through obligation, moral guidance, or communal reinforcement.

The New Zealand Study: Analyzing the Impact of Church Attendance

The New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS) provided researchers with a unique opportunity to explore the causal effects of church attendance on prosocial behavior. Spanning from 2018 to 2021, with a sample of over 33,000 participants, the study assessed the relationship between religious engagement and philanthropy.

Measuring Religious Participation and Charity

Participants in the study reported their:

• Religious attendance frequency (e.g., weekly, monthly, rarely, or never).
• Charitable behaviors, including donation amounts and volunteer hours.
• Social support received, measuring how often they were aided by friends, family, or community members.

Researchers then employed causal inference techniques to estimate how these behaviors would change under different religious attendance scenarios.

Advanced Methods: How Causal Relationships Were Determined

Why Correlation Alone Isn’t Enough

Past studies often relied on basic statistical correlations, which showed that religious individuals tend to be more charitable. However, simple correlations cannot confirm whether church attendance causes generosity or whether other factors—such as personality traits or upbringing—explain the trend.

Cutting-Edge Analytical Techniques

To overcome this limitation, this study used:

• Longitudinal data analysis: Tracking changes in individuals’ behavior over time rather than relying on static comparisons.
• Counterfactual scenario modeling: Simulating what would happen if religious participation increased or decreased.
• Machine learning estimators: Identifying patterns indicative of true causal effects rather than artificial trends.

These approaches provided a much stronger argument for the claim that attending religious services actively shapes charitable behavior.

What the Data Revealed: Key Findings

The study presented several crucial findings:

1. Church Attendance Directly Increases Charitable Giving and Volunteering

Simulations revealed that if all adults in New Zealand attended religious services regularly, monetary donations and volunteering rates would increase significantly.

2. Higher Church Participation Strengthens Community Assistance

People who attended church more frequently were also more likely to give and receive help from their community, indicating that religious involvement fosters mutual aid networks.

3. Removing Church Attendance Would Not Immediately Reduce Charity

Interestingly, eliminating religious services did not instantly lower charitable contributions—suggesting that generosity habits persist even without active participation. However, over time, a decline in charitable behaviors was projected.

4. Potential Economic Impact of Greater Religious Participation

If regular church attendance became universal in New Zealand, scholars estimated:
✅ A potential increase of NZD 2.4 billion in national charitable giving.
✅ A 4% boost in the equivalent of the national budget directed toward charitable causes.
✅ Stronger social support networks, reducing pressure on government aid programs.

Broader Implications of the Findings

These insights go beyond New Zealand and provide global takeaways relevant to sociologists, economists, and policymakers.

1. Faith-Based Communities Enhance Prosocial Behavior

The study corroborates previous research suggesting religious organizations function as charity hubs, amplifying both individual and collective generosity.

2. Religious Involvement Reinforces Social Bonds

Churchgoers are not only giving more but also receiving more communal support, which strengthens networks of generosity.

3. Potential Alternatives to Church-Based Philanthropy

As religious participation declines in some societies, policymakers must consider whether secular institutions can replicate these benefits to maintain a high level of charitable giving.

Limitations and Areas for Further Research

Despite the study’s strengths, some limitations warrant further investigation:

• Cultural Specificity: The findings are based on New Zealand’s religious landscape, which may not perfectly apply to countries with different faith demographics.
• Long-Term Trends: The study examined a four-year window, but the evolution of faith-based philanthropy over decades remains an open question.
• Non-Religious Motivations for Generosity: While religion fosters giving, other social, economic, and psychological drivers need continuous exploration.

What’s Next? Exploring the Future of Faith and Giving

With advancing causal machine learning models, future studies could investigate:

• The impact of virtual religious participation (e.g., online services) on charitable behavior.
• Whether secular institutions can reproduce the prosocial effects of religious communities.
• How different levels of religious commitment (casual vs. devout) affect long-term generosity trends.

This groundbreaking study provides strong empirical evidence that regular church attendance modestly but significantly increases both charitable giving and volunteering. While previous research established a correlation between faith and generosity, this advanced study used causal analysis to confirm that active religious participation actively fosters philanthropy. With implications for both religious and secular charitable efforts, the research highlights the enduring power of faith-based communities in promoting generosity and social support.

FAQs

Does attending religious services make people more likely to donate money or volunteer time?

Yes, the study found that regular church attendance leads to increased charitable giving and volunteering.

Is there a causal relationship between faith and generosity, or is it just a correlation?

The research employed causal inference methods to confirm that religious service attendance causally influences prosocial behavior, rather than just correlating with it.

What statistical methods were used in the study to determine causality?

The study used longitudinal data analysis, machine learning-based estimators, and counterfactual scenario comparisons to determine the causal effects of religious attendance.

What were the key findings regarding charitable behavior in religious vs. non-religious scenarios?

Regular church attendance increased donations, volunteering, and social support, whereas removing religious services did not immediately lead to reduced charitable giving.

How do these findings contribute to our understanding of prosocial behavior?

The study highlights how social and psychological mechanisms within religious communities actively promote generosity, offering insights for behavioral psychology and public policy.

Citations

• Bulbulia, J. A., Davis, D. E., Rice, K. G., Sibley, C. G., & Troughton, G. (2024). The causal effects of religious service attendance on prosocial behaviours in New Zealand: A national longitudinal study. Archive for the Psychology of Religion. https://doi.org/10.1177/00846724241302810
• Hernán, M. (n.d.). Causal Diagrams: Draw Your Assumptions Before Your Conclusions. Harvard University. Retrieved from edX.
• Morgan, S. L., & Winship, C. (2015). Counterfactuals and Causal Inference. Cambridge University Press.