[2025 Religious Perception Survey] Favorability, Influence, and Efficacy of Major Religions

Korea Research regular survey ‘Public opinion within public opinion’Starting in 2020, Korean citizens' favorability toward Korea's four major religious denominations: Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Won-Buddhism, and Islam. Check regularlyFavorability is measured using the emotional temperature scale. For each religion, a 0 is considered very cold and negative, a 100 is very warm and positive, and a 50 is neither positive nor negative. This year's survey was conducted from November 21 to 26, 2025, and the sample size was increased from 1,000 to 2,000, improving the survey's resolution.

Looking at the results of the 2025 religious favorability survey, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Won Buddhism, and Islam ranked highest in popularity, in that order. While favorability for Buddhism, Catholicism, and Won Buddhism increased compared to last year, favorability for Protestantism declined slightly.

Buddhism's favorability rating rose 3.1 points from last year to 54.4 points. This is the highest since 2020, when favorability ratings by religion were first measured, and it is the highest among major religions. Forty-nine percent of respondents rated Buddhism positively (51 points or higher), and 26% rated it highly favorably (76 points or higher). Conversely, 16% rated it very low, with scores of 24 points or lower.

Catholicism's favorability rating stands at 52.7 points, ranking it above average, along with Buddhism. This is a 4.1-point increase compared to last year and, like Buddhism, the highest rating since 2020. Forty-six percent of respondents have a favorability rating above average, while 23% have a very positive rating (76 points or higher). Conversely, 17% have a very negative rating (24 points or lower).

Protestantism's favorability rating stood at 34.7, failing to narrow the gap with Buddhism and Catholicism. In fact, it was the only major religion to experience a slight decline (0.9 points) compared to last year, failing to maintain the upward trend seen over the past two years. Only 22% of respondents rated Protestantism 51 points or higher, roughly half the percentage of those with positive feelings (76 points or higher). The percentage of those with very positive feelings (15%) was also lower than for Buddhism or Catholicism. Conversely, 46% of respondents rated Protestantism 24 points or lower, more than double the percentage of those with negative feelings toward Buddhism or Catholicism.

Favorability ratings for Won Buddhism rose 2.3 points from last year to 30.3, surpassing 30 points for the first time since 2020. Favorability ratings for Islam remained unchanged from last year at 16.3 points, the lowest among the five religions measured. Seventy percent of respondents rated Islam with a low favorability rating of 24 points or less.

Favorability ratings for Buddhism exceeded 50 points across all generations, with particularly high ratings among those in their 50s (57.6 points) and those aged 18-29 (56.2 points). Compared to last year, favorability ratings increased by more than 5 points among those aged 18-29, 30s, and 50s. Regionally, favorability ratings exceeded 50 points across all regions. Favorability ratings were high in regions with large Buddhist populations, such as Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province (57.5 points) and Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province (54.5 points), as well as in Gangwon Province and Jeju Province (57.7 points). Conversely, favorability ratings in the Gwangju and Jeolla Province regions, with their large Protestant populations, were somewhat lower at 50.7 points.

Buddhists themselves rated their favorability toward Buddhism at 79.2 points, a 6.2-point increase from last year. Those without a religious affiliation also rated Buddhism favorably, up 5.8 points from last year, at 55.4 points. While Catholics' favorability toward Buddhism dropped 3.2 points from last year, it remains above average at 55.9 points. Only Protestants' favorability toward Buddhism was low, at 33.8 points.

By respondents' subjective ideological leanings, the liberal group showed the highest favorability toward Buddhism, rising 3.7 points from last year to 59.3 points. Conservatives saw a 1.0 point increase, reaching 53.4 points, while moderates saw a 3.7 point increase, reaching 52.1 points. While the liberal group's favorability rating is somewhat higher, the difference is not significant, and regardless of ideological leaning, all groups saw a slight increase compared to last year, exceeding 50 points.

The favorability rating for Catholicism tends to increase with age. Among Catholics, the proportion of those aged 60 and over is the highest among major religions, at 50%.This may have had an impact. While favorability ratings are high among those aged 70 and older (60.8 points), those in their 50s (56.9 points), and those in their 60s (55.0 points), favorability ratings for Catholicism among those aged 18-29 are 43.3 points, a difference of more than 10 points from those aged 50 and older. Regionally, favorability ratings exceed 50 points in all regions, and regional differences are generally not significant. Favorability ratings are somewhat higher in Gangwon-Jeju (54.7 points) and Seoul (54.6 points).

Catholics' self-assessed favorability rating for Catholicism was 81.9, up 2.4 points from last year. Buddhists' favorability rating for Catholicism rose 5.0 points to 51.0, while those without a religion also saw a 4.5-point increase, reaching 49.4. Protestants' rating for Catholicism was 45.3. The differences in favorability ratings between Protestants, Buddhists, and those without a religion are not significant.

By ideological orientation, favorability ratings for Catholicism exceeded 50 points across progressives, centrists, and conservatives, and favorability rose across the board regardless of ideological affiliation. Like Buddhism, favorability ratings were highest among progressives at 58.1 points, a 2.5-point increase from last year. Favorability among conservatives rose 3.5 points to 51.6 points, and favorability among centrists rose 5.2 points to 50.9 points.

When examining the favorability rating of Protestantism by generation, only those aged 70 and older have a favorable rating approaching average (49.0 points), while those aged 60 and under have ratings below 40. Notably, favorability ratings for Protestantism among those in their 30s are the lowest among all generations, at 26.8 points, and among those in their 40s, they are at 28.8 points, a 7.0-point drop from last year. Regionally, favorability ratings are similar across all regions, with the exception of Gangwon and Jeju (26.9 points), at around 35.0 points. However, favorability ratings in the Gwangju and Jeolla regions, which have a high proportion of Protestant believers, are somewhat higher at 38.4 points.

Protestants' self-assessed favorability rating for Protestantism was 77.2, a 5.8-point increase from last year. Conversely, the favorability ratings of Catholics, Buddhists, and those without religious affiliation remain low. Catholics' favorability rating for Protestantism fell 7.5 points to 28.0, while Buddhists' rating also fell 2.4 points to 22.9. The favorability rating for Protestantism among those without religious affiliation remained flat at 23.2.

By ideological orientation, conservatives have the highest favorability rating at 41.5 points, a 2.5-point increase from last year. Protestant favorability among moderates remains unchanged at 35.1 points, compared to 34.7 points last year. Conversely, the favorability rating among progressives fell 5.8 points to 28.5 points. Buddhism and Catholicism are most favorably viewed by progressives, and the gap in favorability across ideologies is around 7 points. Conversely, Protestantism is most favorably viewed by conservatives, and the ideological gap in favorability is 13.0 points, about twice as large as that of Buddhism and Catholicism. It is difficult to rule out the possibility that the continued support for martial law and anti-impeachment rallies by conservative Protestant groups led by Pastors Jeon Kwang-hoon and Son Hyun-bo following the martial law declaration in December 2024 may have influenced the ideological division of Protestant favorability.

Favorability toward Won Buddhism was high among those aged 18-29 (36.7 points) and 70 and older (34.5 points), an increase from last year. Conversely, favorability toward Won Buddhism among those in their 40s fell 3.3 points to 25.4 points.

Favorability ratings for Islam remain low, below 20 points across all genders and generations. While favorability ratings are somewhat higher among men (18.4 points) than women (14.1 points), and among those aged 18-29 (19.7 points) and 70 and older (18.9 points), none of them exceed 20 points.

We categorized respondents based on their favorability toward the three major religions: Protestantism, Buddhism, and Catholicism. Twenty-nine percent of respondents rated all three religions at least moderately favorable (50 points). Conversely, 9% of respondents rated all three religions below 50, indicating negative feelings.

The remaining 62% of people are divided on their likes and dislikes for each religion. The most common group, which accounts for 34% of the total, is "Buddhism and Catholicism are above average, but Protestantism is below average." This means that one in three adults has a favorable view of Buddhism and Catholicism, but a negative view of Protestantism. Furthermore, 10% have an above average favorability toward Buddhism alone, 7% have an above average favorability toward Protestantism alone, and 5% have an above average favorability toward Catholicism alone. Five% have an above average favorability toward Catholicism and Protestantism but below average favorability toward Buddhism, and 1% have an above average favorability toward Buddhism and Protestantism but below average favorability toward Catholicism, making them a minority.

We examined the correlation between favorability ratings for five religions. While the correlation has weakened somewhat compared to previous years, the overall trend remains unchanged.

Favorability ratings for Catholicism, Buddhism, and Won Buddhism show moderate correlations. Higher favorability toward one religion tends to lead to higher favorability toward the other two, while lower favorability tends to lead to lower favorability toward both. The correlation coefficient between Catholicism and Buddhism is .482, between Catholicism and Won Buddhism is .425, and between Buddhism and Won Buddhism is .504.

The low correlation between favorability toward Protestantism and favorability toward other religions remains consistent with previous years. The correlation coefficient between Protestantism and Catholicism is .077, while correlations with Won Buddhism (.093) and Islam (.159) are also weak. In particular, the correlation coefficient between Protestantism and Buddhism is -.182, indicating a weak but negative relationship. This suggests that higher favorability toward Protestantism tends to be associated with slightly lower favorability toward Buddhism. Unlike other religions, evaluations of Protestantism are conducted independently, and a negative correlation with Buddhism is observed.

The trend toward independent evaluations of Protestantism, in particular, is even more pronounced this year. The correlation coefficient between Protestantism and Catholicism fell from .283 last year to .077, Won Buddhism from .226 to .093, and Islam from .255 to .159. This suggests that evaluations of Protestantism have become more isolated from those of other religions.

The correlation coefficient between Won Buddhism and Islam was .607, the highest among the five religious pairs. Given that both religions are minority religions with small numbers of followers in Korean society, this seems to reflect both individual religious evaluations and openness to non-mainstream religions. Those who are less averse to unfamiliar religions tend to have a greater preference for both religions.

A summary of religious favorability in 2025 shows that favorability for Buddhism and Catholicism rose year-on-year, reaching its highest level since 2020. However, favorability for Protestantism declined slightly, widening the gap. Evaluations of Protestantism are conducted independently of, and sometimes in opposition to, other religions. Furthermore, Protestantism exhibits the greatest ideological disparity in favorability. This year's survey confirmed a 5.8-point drop in favorability for progressives while a 2.5-point increase for conservatives, confirming a ideological divide. The political actions of some conservative Protestant groups following the martial law declaration in December 2024 likely influenced this division. Won Buddhism broke into the 30s for the first time, and Islam continues to be perceived very negatively in Korean society.

Those who acknowledge that "religion influences my life" accounted for 37% of the total, a 3 percentage point increase from a year ago. While 66% of those with a religious affiliation said religion influences their lives, only 8% of those without a religious affiliation said so. This suggests that religious teachings and doctrines have little impact on non-believers.

Estimated religious population status based on a comprehensive survey conducted by Korea Research from January to November 2025.Looking at the data, the religious population is higher among women than men, and the older the age group, the more religious the population. This trend is also confirmed regarding the influence of religion on life. The response that "religion influences my life" is higher among women (43%) than men (32%), and the trend increases with age (22% for those aged 18-29, 56% for those aged 70 or older). Furthermore, the percentage of Protestants (84%) who acknowledge that "religion influences my life" is higher than that of Catholics (62%) or Buddhists (47%). Considering that the more actively they participate in religious activities, the greater the influence of religion on their lives, it can be seen that Protestants who are relatively more active in religious activities acknowledge the influence of religion more.

There remains a high level of awareness that religious belief is helpful in various aspects of life. The most common response, at 82%, was that religion helps people "find a sense of stability by having someone they can rely on." Around three out of four also believe religion helps them "have positive emotions (78%)," "act ethically (74%)," "build relationships (74%)," and "feel a sense of belonging (74%)." A majority also agree that religion helps them "develop sound values ​​(69%)," "find their identity (59%)," and "achieve goals such as health, exams, and employment (53%)." Overall, the results remain largely unchanged from last year, demonstrating a sustained social consensus on the efficacy of religion.

The older the age group, the more likely they are to evaluate the efficacy of religion. The older the age group, the higher the percentage of believers.This is a continuation of the results. Among those aged 70 and older, at least 74% perceive religion as helpful in seven of the eight categories, excluding "goal achievement." Conversely, among those aged 18-29, less than 50% believe religion helps with "identity" (49%) and "goal achievement" (40%). However, an exceptionally high 81% believe religion helps with "a sense of belonging," demonstrating a positive perception of religion's contribution to community formation.

There is a clear difference in the perception of religious efficacy between believers and non-believers. In particular, there is a gap of over 30 percentage points in the perception that religion helps with "correct values" (believers 89%, non-believers 49%), "identity" (78%, 41%), "ethical behavior" (90%, 58%), and "goal achievement" (68%, 37%). Conversely, the gap is relatively narrow, with many non-believers also acknowledging that religion helps with "a sense of belonging" (76%, 71%) and "interpersonal relationships" (79%, 68%). While there is a significant difference in perception between believers and non-believers regarding the internal and normative functions of religion, there is a relatively high level of agreement regarding its social function.

By religion, as in last year, Protestant believers had the highest sense of efficacy, while Buddhist believers had relatively low efficacy.

Among Protestants, over 80% responded that religion was helpful in seven out of eight items (excluding "goal achievement"), and in particular, the items of "ethical behavior," "stability," "positive emotions," and "values" all reached 91-92%. Catholics also had similar levels to Protestants in most items, but their perception of religion's help with "identity (75%)" and "goal achievement (63%)" was somewhat lower. While over 80% of Buddhists agreed with internal items such as "stability," "positive emotions," "ethical behavior," and "values," their agreement rate was relatively low for communal and cyclical functions such as "sense of belonging (62%)" and "goal achievement (59%)." Their opinion that religion was helpful for "identity (73%)" and "interpersonal relationships (71%)" was also lower than that of Protestants.

There is a clear tendency for a higher frequency of religious activity participation to lead to a higher perceived efficacy of religion. More than 85% of believers who participate in religious activities weekly report that religion is helpful across all eight categories, with 94-95% reporting that it is particularly helpful for "ethical behavior," "positive emotions," "values," and "sense of stability." Participants who participate once to three times a month also report high scores for most categories, at 76-91%. However, those who participate less than once a month report lower scores for "goal achievement" (54%), "sense of belonging" (61%), and "identity" (66%). Specifically, the differences in "goal achievement" and "sense of belonging" between weekly participants and those who participate less than once a month reach 31 and 30 percentage points, respectively. On the other hand, for internal aspects such as "stability (84%)," "positive emotions (85%)," and "ethical behavior (85%)," a relatively high percentage of respondents perceive religion as helpful, even when the frequency of religious activity is low. While perceptions of the communal and cyclical functions of religion vary significantly depending on the level of participation, perceptions of its internal and emotional functions remain relatively consistent, regardless of religious activity participation.

While social perceptions of religious efficacy remain high overall, this perception varies not only by age but also by religious affiliation, religious type, and frequency of activity. There is a significant gap in perceptions between believers and non-believers regarding internal and normative functions such as "values," "identity," and "ethical behavior." By religion, Protestants have the highest perceived efficacy, while Buddhists, in particular, have relatively low perceptions of communal function. By frequency of activity, agreement with communal and volatile functions such as "sense of belonging" and "goal achievement" decreases significantly with less participation, while agreement with emotional functions such as "stability" and "positive emotions" remains relatively high.

There's broad consensus among believers and non-believers, regardless of religious affiliation or frequency of religious activity, regarding the psychological stability and emotional comfort offered by religion. However, in areas of volatile and relational impact, such as goal achievement, a sense of belonging, and interpersonal relationships, perceptions vary significantly depending on one's religious affiliation and level of religious participation.