Deconstructing Young Adults' Religious (Dis)engagement in Statistics Canada's Religiosity Index

Abstract

This research explored whether Statistics Canada’s religiosity index is an adequate measurement tool to capture the degree of young adults’ (aged 15-29) religious engagement in contemporary Canada. The impact of the agency’s four religiosity dimensions (affiliation, attendance, importance and private practice) on the index by age group was analyzed using Cycle 25 of the General Social Survey. Next, quantitative data was collected using a cross-sectional web-based survey of young adults (aged 18-29) in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island (N=634). This survey examined the differences in representation of religious engagement based on either traditional or personalized dimensions. In conclusion, my findings suggest that Statistics Canada’s religiosity index does not measure religiosity consistently across age groups, nor does it assess important personalized dimensions of young adults’ religiosities. Consequently, the current religiosity index provides only a partial understanding of young adults’ degree of religious engagement and should be considered for revision.