Iranians' Religious Attitudes: A 2020 Survey Report.pdf

The study aimed to fill information gaps due to Iran's restrictions on openly discussing religion.

Main Findings:

1. Religious Beliefs:
- 78% of Iranians believe in God.
- 37% believe in life after death, 30% in heaven and hell, 26% in jinns, and 26% in a savior's arrival.
- Around 20% do not believe in any of these concepts.

2. Religious Identification:
- 32% identify as Shi'ite Muslims, 9% as atheists, 8% as Zoroastrians, 7% as spiritual, 6% as agnostics, and 5% as Sunni Muslims.
- Others follow diverse worldviews like Sufism, humanism, Christianity, the Baha’i faith, or Judaism.
- Approximately 22% identified with none of these.

3. Religious Practices:
- Half of the population reported losing their religion over time.
- 41% reported no significant changes in religious or non-religious views.
- Around 6% converted from one religious orientation to another.
- 60% do not pray, while 40% pray at varying frequencies, with 27% praying five times a day.

4. Family Background:
- 68% grew up in a family environment characterized by belief in God and religiosity.
- 32% were raised in a "believing but not religious" family.
- Less than 3% were from an "unbelieving" or "anti-religious" family background.

5. Religious Influence on Law:
- 68% believe religious prescriptions should not be excluded from state legislation, even if believers hold a parliamentary majority.
- 14% think national law should always align with religious prescriptions.

6. Funding of Religious Institutions:
- 71% support religious institutions being responsible for their own funding.
- 10% believe all religious organizations (irrespective of faith) should receive government support, while 3% think only Islamic institutions are entitled to such benefits.

7. Proselytizing:
- 41% support all religions having the right to public proselytizing.
- Only 4% believe this right should be exclusive to Muslims.
- 43% agree with a blanket prohibition on all religions from proselytizing.

8. Religious Education:
- 56% do not want their children to receive religious education at school, but 54% approve of them learning about diverse faiths in school.

9. Hijab (Islamic Veil):
- 58% do not believe in the hijab altogether.
- 72% oppose compulsory hijab, while 15% support its legal obligation in public.

10. Alcohol Consumption:
- Despite legal temperance, 35% occasionally or regularly consume alcohol.
- 56% do not drink alcoholic beverages.
- 9% cannot purchase alcohol due to inaccessibility or high prices.