Belief in the existence of witchcraft or that people use supernatural powers to
The belief that people can cast cursespresent in most of the world's major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism, a 2021 Pew Research Center survey found. It's no surprise that religious people are more likely to believe that some people have magical powers, according to a new study.
Overall, based on the Pew sample,Researchers estimate that at least 1 billion people around the world believe in witchcraft. Notably, higher levels of education and financial security were generally associated with lower beliefs in witchcraft. However, such beliefs have been recorded among people with a wide range of educational levels and socioeconomic status.
Map showing the prevalence of witchcraft beliefs at the country level around the world.
Photo: Boris Gershman, 2022, CC-BY 4.0
As the study authors note, the dataconfirm: beliefs in witchcraft are, in essence, a simple mechanism of self-government and act to maintain traditional order, encourage conformity and promote cohesion within the group. However, it comes with many “individual and social costs,” the scientists write. For example, countries with more widespread beliefs in witchcraft are characterized by strained social relations.
In the new study, scientists useda comprehensive set of data collected from 2008 to 2017 by the Pew Research Center. In total, 140,000 people in 95 countries and five continents were asked several questions related to their belief in magic, such as: “Do you believe in the evil eye or that some people can cast curses?” However, the study has a big flaw: the experts did not survey residents of India or China, where together approximately 2.8 billion people live.
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