Why 80 per cent Indians think religion is very important

Close to 80 per cent Indians think religion is an important part of their lives, according to a recent Pew Research Center report. While Ethiopia tops the chart with 98 per cent nationals saying that faith plays a crucial role in their lives, the US has seen a decline in the recent years - from 56 per cent in 2007 to 53 per cent in 2015.

The figures suggest Americans place less importance on religion than those from African and Asian countries.

Pakistan with 93 per cent and Indonesia with 95 per cent, come ahead of India in believing that religion is very important in their lives. On the other hand, France (14 per cent), Japan (11 per cent) and China (three per cent) rank the the lowest.