Religiosity and corruption tolerance in Muslim-majority countries

Introduction This study examines how religiosity shapes tolerance for corruption in societies where Muslims are the majority. It assesses how a person’s religious commitment influences attitudes toward corruption and compares this influence with criminological theories, including anomie, rational choice, amoral familism, and broken windows, which also explain tolerance for corruption. Methods This study uses data from the World Values Survey (2017–2022) to identify factors influencing individuals’ tolerance toward corruption in Muslim-majority societies. The sample includes 5,050 respondents from 10 Muslim-majority countries. Using multiple regression models, the study seeks to explain corruption tolerance by employing criminological factors and religiosity to examine their relative explanatory power for the former. Results The results suggest that the magnitude and significance of religiosity’s coefficients vary depending on how we measure religious commitments in Muslim-majority societies. In particular, criminological variables—particularly perceived detection risk and tolerance for minor offenses—appear to play a stronger, more consistent explanatory role in respondents’ tolerance toward corruption. The findings highlight the importance of institutional quality and enforcement mechanisms in shaping attitudes toward corruption, suggesting that strengthening legal accountability and governance structures may enhance the effectiveness of religious ethical norms in strengthening anti-corruption attitudes. Discussion This research contributes to the literature on religion and tolerance for corruption by examining Muslim populations in countries where Islam is the dominant religion. It integrates religious and criminological explanations to examine how social norms, institutional conditions, and religious commitment interact to shape individuals’ tolerance for corruption.