ular ization ▁is ▁the ▁transformation ▁of ▁the ▁politics ▁of ▁a ▁society ▁from ▁close ▁identification ▁with ▁a ▁particular ▁religion ' s ▁values ▁and ▁institutions ▁toward ▁non rel ig ious ▁values ▁and ▁sec ular ▁institutions . ▁The ▁purpose ▁of ▁this ▁is ▁frequently ▁modern ization ▁or ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁populations ▁religious ▁divers ity . ▁ ▁Econom ics ▁ ▁One ▁study ▁has ▁found ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁negative ▁correlation ▁between ▁self - defined ▁religios ity ▁and ▁the ▁wealth ▁of ▁nations . ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁the ▁rich er ▁a ▁nation ▁is , ▁the ▁less ▁likely ▁its ▁inhabitants ▁to ▁call ▁themselves ▁religious , ▁whatever ▁this ▁word ▁means ▁to ▁them ▁( Many ▁people ▁identify ▁themselves ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁religion ▁( not ▁ir rel ig ion ) ▁but ▁do ▁not ▁self - ident ify ▁as ▁religious ). ▁ ▁Soci ologist ▁and ▁political ▁econom ist ▁Max ▁We ber ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁Protest ant ▁Christian ▁countries ▁are ▁wealth ier ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁Protest ant ▁work ▁eth ic . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁study ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Christians ▁hold ▁the ▁largest ▁amount ▁of ▁wealth ▁( 5 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁world ▁wealth ), ▁followed ▁by ▁Muslim s ▁( 5 . 8 % ), ▁H ind us ▁( 3 . 3 %) ▁and ▁Jews ▁( 1 . 1 %). ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁study ▁it ▁was ▁found ▁that ▁ad her ents ▁under ▁the ▁classification ▁Ir rel ig ion ▁or ▁other ▁relig ions ▁hold ▁about ▁ 3 4 . 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁global ▁wealth . ▁ ▁Health ▁