== Happiness: British non-religious vs. British religious ==
''See also:'' [[British atheism]]
[[File:Sadness.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Atheists have a higher suicide rate than [[theism|theists]].<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/misc/religion_suicide.html Adherents.com - suicide rates]</ref> Please see: [[Atheism and suicide]] ]]
That compares with 7.33 for [[Islam|Muslims]] and 7.37 for [[Judaism|Jewish]] people, rising to 7.47 for [[Christianity|Christians]], who were just ahead of [[Sikhism|Sikhs]] on 7.45.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/12136531/Religion-can-make-you-happier-official-figures-suggest.html Religion can make you happier, official figures suggest], ''The Telegraph'', 2016</ref>}}
[[Image:Jhcfju6.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] [[C. S. Lewis]], photographed in 1947. Lewis wrote the book ''Surprised by Joy''. See: [[Atheism and joy]] ]]
In December 2003, the University of Warwick reported:
{{cquote|Dr. Stephen Joseph, from the University of Warwick, said: "Religious people seem to have a greater purpose in life, which is why they are happier. Looking at the research evidence, it seems that those who celebrate the Christian meaning of [[Christmas]] are on the whole likely to be happier.<ref>http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2003/A/20037338.html</ref>}}
{{See also|Atheism and Christmas}}
== = British Ex-atheist C.S. Lewis: Surprised by Joy ===
''See also:'' [[Atheism and joy]]
== China, economic growth and a decline in happiness ==
=== China and atheism === ''See also:'' [[China and atheism]] Most atheists live in [[East Asia]] (see: [[Asian atheism]] and [[Atheist Population|Atheist population]]). East Asia contains about 25 percent of the world’s population. [[File:China location.png|thumbnail|200px|leftright|[[China]] has the world's largest [[atheism|atheist]] population.<ref>[http://www.thechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013</ref> ]]
[[China]] has the world's largest [[atheism|atheist]] population.<ref>[http://www.thechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013</ref> See: [[China and atheism]]
China’s population represents 20 percent of the people on earth.<ref>[http://www.sbts.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/10/Pages-from-SBJT-V15-N2_Terry.pdf The Growth of Christianity in East Asia]</ref>
Razib Khan points out in ''Discover Magazine'', "most [[secular]] nations in the world are those of East Asia, in particular what are often termed “[[Confucianism|Confucian]] societies.” It is likely therefore that the majority of the world’s [[Atheism|atheists]] are actually East Asian."<ref>[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2010/11/most-atheists-are-not-white/ Most atheists are not white & other non-fairy tales], Discover magazine</ref> See: [[Asian atheism]] and [[Global atheism]]
=== China and unhappiness ===
In 2012, ''Time'' magazine reporting on a study published in the ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'' by a team from the University of Southern California headed by economist Richard Easterlin: