Having a religious faith helps to ease the burden of poverty and inequality according to a major new study. The research examines people suffering from low Socio-Economic Status (SES) in poor and rich countries, and finds that socially disadvantaged people in developing countries cope with their situation better.

Levels of religious practice are generally lower in developed countries than in developing ones, and the study claims that the lack of religious practice among poorer people in the developed world means they have worse coping mechanisms than those in poorer parts of the planet.

The researchers say: “This finding suggests that, as national religiosity continues to decline, lower SES will become increasingly harmful for well-being—a societal change that is socially consequential and demands political attention.”

The study draws on data sets consisting of several million people.