Religion Monitor

Sponsored by the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Religion Monitor is a data collection instrument that surveys traditional and new forms of religiosity and examines the changing face of religion in the context of pluralism. It was started in 2007 on the basis of a poll of 21,000 people in 21 countries. Future rounds will expand the survey to more than 100 countries. The survey encompasses six core dimensions of religiousness: interest in religious affairs, belief in God or something divine, public and private religious practices, religious experiences as well the general relevance of religion to everyday-life. It analyzes theistic as well as pantheistic semantics, and other specific subjects such as spirituality. The question modules are identical for all nationalities and all religions, and the random sample takes into account socio-demographic factors such as gender division or various age groups as a percentage of the overall population.