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Learn which countries rank highest for religious diversity, spiritual landmarks, wellness, quality of life, and other measures of spirituality.
Canada takes the top position in Wayfairer Travel’s Global Spirituality Index, while destinations including India, Japan, and Thailand also rank highly for their spiritual traditions, sacred sites, and cultural depth.
Wayfairer Travel created the index to explore spirituality through seven measures, including religious diversity, religious tolerance, spiritual sights, wellness, and quality of life. Together, these measures provide a more complete picture of the places where travelers can encounter meaningful traditions, important landmarks, and distinctive ways of life.
What Does the Global Spirituality Index Measure?
Spirituality is a concept that spans many levels, and defining a spiritual country is much greater than simply looking at those countries that have a large religious population. We are interested in a broad combination of factors that shape a destination’s spiritual character, including how different beliefs coexist, how freely they can be practiced, and how strongly sacred places and traditions remain part of everyday life.
For travelers, those qualities can create experiences that feel more meaningful than simply visiting a famous landmark. Time spent at a working temple, historic mosque, pilgrimage site, or sacred landscape can offer a better understanding of the people, beliefs, and customs that have shaped a destination.
A carefully planned luxury vacation gives travelers the time and context to explore these places respectfully. Private guides, thoughtful pacing, and well-chosen experiences can turn a brief visit into a deeper connection with the destination.
Global Spirituality Index Results
|
# |
Country |
Religious Diversity |
Religious Population |
Religious Freedom |
Religious Tolerance |
Spiritual Sights |
Wellness |
Quality of Life |
Score |
|
1 |
Canada |
7 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
40 |
|
2 |
Italy |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
36 |
|
3 |
India |
7 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
4 |
– |
34 |
|
3 |
Japan |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
34 |
|
3 |
United Kingdom |
7 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
– |
34 |
|
3 |
United States of America |
7 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
34 |
|
7 |
Mexico |
6 |
3 |
3 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
33 |
|
8 |
Australia |
7 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
32 |
|
8 |
Philippines |
7 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
32 |
|
10 |
Germany |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
31 |
|
10 |
Switzerland |
6 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
31 |
|
12 |
Austria |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
30 |
|
12 |
Brazil |
6 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
30 |
|
12 |
China |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
30 |
|
12 |
France |
7 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
30 |
|
12 |
Thailand |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
30 |
|
17 |
Ghana |
4 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
29 |
|
17 |
Spain |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
29 |
|
19 |
New Zealand |
7 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
28 |
|
19 |
Panama |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
28 |
|
19 |
Portugal |
5 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
28 |
|
19 |
South Korea |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
28 |
- Canada was crowned as the most spiritual country in the world after ranking highly for quality of life and religious diversity, as well as religious freedom, religious tolerance, spiritual sights, and wellness.
Following Canada, the top 10 most spiritual countries are:
Italy
India
Japan
UK
Mexico
Australia
Philippines
USA
Germany
Wayfairer Travel Destinations in the Rankings
For us here at Wayfairer, it was of particular interest to us to see which of our own destinations ranked highly on the Global Spirituality Index, and we were excited to see India placing in the top 5 countries in light of its high religious diversity and array of spiritual sights, and our new destination of Japan scoring very highly, taking the third spot. We were also thrilled to see Thailand rank within the top 20 countries. Three of the many spiritual journeys we offer are shared below:
Rural Rajasthan, India
Wayfairer Travel’s Rural Rajasthan trip introduces travelers to several of northern India’s most important religious and cultural sites. The journey includes the Hanuman Temple, Jama Masjid mosque, the Badoli Temples, Saheliyon-ki-Bari, and Jagdish Temple.
Travelers also visit Fatehpur Sikri, the former Mughal capital established by Emperor Akbar. Its palaces, mosques, and blend of Hindu, Islamic, and Christian influences reflect the religious diversity that helped India rank so highly in the index.
Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hakone, Japan
Wayfairer Travel’s Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hakone itinerary brings travelers into some of Japan’s most significant spiritual spaces. Visits include the tranquil Meiji Jingu shrine and Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo, followed by Kyoto landmarks such as Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Pagoda.
The journey also includes Todai-ji Temple, where travelers can experience the scale, artistry, and living traditions of Japanese Buddhism. Together, these sites offer a closer look at the spiritual practices and architectural heritage that continue to shape Japan.-
Thailand: A Fully Tailored Spiritual Journey
Thailand also ranks within the top 20, reflecting the influence of Buddhist traditions, sacred spaces, wellness practices, and a culture that balances energy with calm. Wayfairer Travel creates each Thailand itinerary from the ground up, allowing travelers to shape their journey around the places and experiences that interest them most. A custom trip could combine Bangkok’s golden temples with the cultural depth of northern Thailand, peaceful countryside stays, wellness experiences, and time along the coast.- Start Planning Your Spirital Travel Trip Today
How the Global Spirituality Index Was Created
-
To create our Global Spirituality Index, we analyzed a variety of factors for every country in the world in order to take a holistic view of spirituality in every country. The elements we looked at included:
Religious Diversity
Religious Population
Religious Freedom
Religious Tolerance
Spiritual Sights
Wellness
Quality of Life
Within each of these categories, every country was awarded a score from 1-7 (7 being the highest). We then totaled each country’s scores across these categories to find their Global Spirituality Index Score, with a total of 49 being the highest score available. The countries have then been ranked by their Global Spirituality Index Score to create the Global Spirituality Index.
Full data is available upon request, and our sources are listed below:
http://www.pewforum.org/data
https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/GWI_WellnessEconomyMonitor2017_FINALweb.pdf
http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Crime/Fear-of-crime/Violent-hate-crime
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religions_by_country
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-and-graphics/most-religious-countries-in-the-world/
https://gostica.com/spiritual-lifestyle/top-10-spiritual-centers-with-strong-energy/
https://www.pacsafe.com/blog/6-most-spiritual-places-on-earth.html
http://consciouspanda.com/20-sacred-place-you-have-to-visit/
https://torontosun.com/2013/11/04/worlds-most-spiritual-mystical-destinations/
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/quality-of-life-full-list
Data was not available for the following countries: Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Faroe Islands, French Guiana, Gabon, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent's & Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini, Tajikistan, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uzbekistan, Virgin Islands (UK and US), Zambia
