Skip to content

Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland…

“Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom are among the least religious societies on [E]arth. According to the United Nations' Human Development Report (2005) they are also the healthiest, as indicated by life…” quote by Sam Harris
Download Open image
““Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom are among the least religious societies on [E]arth. According to the United Nations' Human Development Report (2005) they are also the healthiest, as indicated by life expectancy, adult literacy, per capita income, educational attainment, gender equality, homicide rate, and infant mortality. Insofar as there is a crime problem in Western Europe, it is largely the product of immigration. Seventy percent of the inmates of France's jails, for instance, are Muslim. The Muslims of Western Europe are generally not atheists. Conversely, the fifty nations now ranked lowest in terms of the United Nations' [H]uman [D]evelopment [I]ndex are unwaveringly religious. Other analyses paint the same picture: the United States is unique among wealthy democracies in its level of religious adherence; it is also uniquely beleaguered by high rates of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and infant mortality. The same comparison holds true within the United States itself: Southern and Midwestern states, characterized by the highest levels of religious literalism, are especially plagued by the above indicators of societal dysfunction, while the comparatively secular states of the Northeast conform to European norms.””

Sam Harris

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Secular societies tend to have better health and social outcomes, while highly religious societies often face more social problems.

In simple terms: Less religion correlates with better societal metrics.

Key Takeaway

Promote evidence‑based policies over religious doctrine.

Themes

health education secularism social policy

Mood

analytical critical

Type

analytical informative

When to use this quote

  • public policy
  • education reform
  • community health
  • media analysis
  • research

Key Concepts

human development religion and health sociology

Questions to Reflect On

  • What policies can improve health without invoking religion?
  • How do cultural values intersect with development?
A Different Perspective

Correlation does not equal causation; many other factors influence outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Sam Harris

Explore all 543 Sam Harris quotes

More Gender equality quotes

Browse all 275 Gender equality quotes