More Arabs are saying they are not religious
13 per cent of Arabs consider themselves not religious as opposed to 8 per cent in 2013
Dubai: Arabs are increasingly saying they are no longer religious, according to a comprehensive survey done in the Middle East and North Africa.
More than 25,000 people were interviewed for the survey - for BBC News Arabic by the Arab Barometer research network - across 11 countries between late 2018 and spring 2019.
Since 2013, the number of people across the region identifying as “not religious” has risen from 8% to 13%.
The rise is greatest in the under 30s, among whom 18% identify as not religious, according to the research. Only Yemen saw a fall in the category.
Most people in the Middle East supported the right of a woman to become prime minister or president.
The exception was Algeria where less than 50% of those questioned agreed that a woman head of state was acceptable.
But when it comes to domestic life, most - including a majority of women - believe that husbands should always have the final say on family decisions.
Only in Morocco did fewer than half the population think a husband should always be the ultimate decision-maker