Weekly religious services: Muslims highest in attendance, Catholics lowest in continuing decline
By Camille A. Aguinaldo
NEARLY half of Filipinos attend religious services weekly, with Muslims holding the highest record in weekly attendance, according to the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
Results from the survey indicated that 46% of the 1,200 Filipino respondents who were interviewed face-to-face attended religious services weekly, 34% attended monthly, and 18% attended occasionally. The remaining 0.4% said they never attended religious services.
It also showed that weekly attendance in religious services was highest among Muslims at 98%, followed by other Christians at 67%, members of the Iglesia ni Cristo at 58%, and Catholics at 41%.
Meanwhile, monthly attendance in religious services was recorded highest among Catholics at 38%, followed by members of the Iglesia ni Cristo at 28%, Other Christians at 18%, and Muslims at 2%.
SWS noted that less than half of Filipinos have been going to religious services weekly since 2013, ranging from 46% to 47% in annual averages. The highest recorded of weekly attendance was at 66% in 1991, when SWS first conducted the survey.
The 2017 average weekly church attendance was also a record-low, similar to 2013, 2014, and 2015 figures. Meanwhile, the annual average proportion of those who never attend religious services has been at marginal levels, reaching only as high as 3% in 1994.
SWS also pointed out that the Catholics’ weekly church attendance declined by 24 points from 1991 to 2017. Since 2000, only half or less than half of Catholic Filipinos go to church weekly.
Apart from the frequency of attendance in religious services, the survey also showed three out of four Filipinos (75%) considered religion to be very important. But this latest figure was seven points below than the recorded 82% in December 2017.
Majority of respondents who attended religious services weekly and who said religion is very important reported to be very happy or very satisfied with life.
Meanwhile, most respondents who go to church monthly reported to be not very happy or not at all happy.
Among religious groups, those who said religion is very important to them was highest among Muslims at 94%, followed by Catholics at 75%, Other Christians at 70%, and members of Iglesia ni Cristo at 70%.
On the other hand, respondents who said religion was not at all important was highest among members of Iglesia ni Cristo at 21%, followed by other Christians at 19%, Catholics at 12%, and Muslims at 6%.
The survey, which was conducted on Dec. 8 to 16, 2017 asked the respondents two questions:
1. How often do you attend religious services? (SHOWCARD: Several times a week, Once a week, 2-3 times a month, Once a month, Several times a year, Once a year, Less frequently, or Never)?
2. How important would you say that religion is in your life? Would you say that it is… (SHOWCARD: Not at all important, Not very important, Rather important, or Very important)?
