The survey, conducted by the University of Birmingham and funded by the Templeton Religious Trust, explored the beliefs of religious, spiritual and non-religious people and their links to science. Over 2,000 people took part in the survey in the seven different countries surveyed: the UK, the USA, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany and Spain.
In most countries, except the USA, more people think that religion has more negative effects on society than positive ones. In the UK, half of the respondents believe this, while only 13 per cent think the same about science. Here’s two of the responses:
Please indicate the extent to which you personally disagree or agree with the following statement. I think that religion often has more negative consequences for society than positive consequences
| Country | Agree | Neither Agree Nor Disagree | Disagree | Don’t Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 37% | 25% | 31% | 7% |
| Australia | 56% | 16% | 25% | 3% |
| Canada | 51% | 19% | 26% | 4% |
| Germany | 51% | 21% | 22% | 7% |
| Spain | 54% | 17% | 26% | 3% |
| UK | 50% | 16% | 30% | 4% |
| USA | 40% | 15% | 42% | 3% |
Please indicate the extent to which you personally disagree or agree with the following statement. I think that science often has more negative consequences for society than positive consequences.
| Country | Agree | Neither Agree Nor Disagree | Disagree | Don’t Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 20% | 27% | 46% | 7% |
| Australia | 20% | 20% | 57% | 4% |
| Canada | 15% | 20% | 62% | 4% |
| Germany | 12% | 20% | 62% | 6% |
| Spain | 10% | 14% | 74% | 2% |
| UK | 13% | 19% | 63% | 5% |
| USA | 26% | 18% | 53% | 3% |