The results of a wide-ranging study that surveyed the attitudes of people in as many as 35 countries suggest that happiness is tied to being religiously active.

According to the study, “Religion’s Relationship to Happiness, Civic Engagement and Health Around the World,” issued Jan. 31 by the Pew Research Center people who are active in religious congregations tend to be happier and more civically engaged than either religiously unaffiliated adults or inactive members of religious groups

The research findings suggest that societies with declining levels of religious engagement could be at risk for declines in personal and societal well-being. And mere religious affiliation, rather than active engagement, was, by itself, not associated with a greater likelihood of personal happiness or civic involvement.