The loss of religion and fulfilment go hand in hand according to a new global survey led by Harvard academics published this week.

Across 22 countries in six continents, over 200,000 participants for five years, the Global Flourishing Study attempted to glean just who in the world actually feels content.

While the questions asked of the survey’s participants were varied, ranging from financial stability to physical health, sense of purpose to childhood experiences and relationships, the report’s authors suggest a widespread correlation can be made between those nationalities who feel most fulfilled and those with the highest religious observance.

“Religious service attendance was one of the factors most consistently associated with present or subsequent wellbeing, across countries and across outcomes,” the report, led by Prof Tyler VanderWeele, outlines.

It highlighted the “declining religiosity of more economically advanced nations” suggesting: “We may need a reconsideration of spiritual pathways to wellbeing.”