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The Jewish homeland of Israel is again perceived to be the most religious in the world, according to data from the 2021 Best Countries rankings, a characterization of 78 countries based on a survey of more than 17,000 global citizens. In the survey, respondents answered how closely they related each of the 78 countries to the term "religious," an adjective that Merriam-Webster defines as a "faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity," but can hold different meanings for different people.

The Basic Law in Israel describes the country as a Jewish state and "protects the freedom of conscience, faith, religion, and worship, regardless of an individual’s religious affiliation," according to the U.S. Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report for 2016. Israel's capital, Jerusalem, is home to significant religious and historic sites such as the Western Wall and Temple Mount, which draws both Jews and Muslims. But the nation has also been rife with violence between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in Israel, Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank, as evidenced this past spring.

Saudi Arabia and India rank No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in terms of perceived religiosity. Saudi Arabia has a theocratic monarchy with a legal system based on Islamic Shariah law and India is the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Data show Islam is spreading, on track to surpass Christianity as the world's biggest religion. While the world’s population is projected to grow 32% in the next few decades, the number of Muslims is expected to increase by 70% – from 1.8 billion in 2015 to nearly 3 billion in 2060, a 2017 Pew Research Center report found.

Meanwhile, the United States, with freedom to practice religion guaranteed in its Constitution, ranks No. 59. The Netherlands and Australia are perceived to be the least religious countries at Nos. 77 and 78, respectively.

These are the 10 countries perceived to be the most religious.