Person-country Fit and Subjective Well-Being: The Roles of Religious Beliefs

While previous studies have extensively examined the relationship between religion and subjective well-being (SWB), findings remain mixed, and ongoing debates persist regarding the nature and strength of this association. Moreover, less is known about specific dimensions of religiosity, such as the importance of God in individuals’ lives and its relationship with SWB. Building on the person-country fit literature, this study analyzes the implications of (a) the fit between personal importance of God and country-level religiosity norms for SWB, and (b) the fit between personal importance of God and societal freedom of religion for SWB. Utilizing data from 78 countries and regions (N = 114,441), the findings reveal that cultural fit—specifically, alignment between individual-level and country-level importance of God—is significantly associated with higher SWB, with this association being particularly strong among older adults. These results provide valuable empirical and theoretical insights, offering important implications for research on religion, person-country fit in religiosity, and SWB.