Religious Practice and Student Performance: Evidence from Ramadan Fasting

Arbeitspapier

We investigate how the intensity of Ramadan affects educational outcomes by exploiting spatio-temporal variation in annual fasting hours. Longer fasting hours are related to increases in student performance in a panel of TIMMS test scores (1995–2019) across Muslim countries but not other countries. Results are confirmed in a panel of PISA test scores (2003–2018) allowing within country-wave comparisons of Muslim to non-Muslim students across Europe. We provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that a demanding Ramadan during adolescence affects educational performance by facilitating formation of social capital and social identity via increased religious participation and shared experiences among students.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 9349

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Analysis of Education ; Cultural Economics: Religion ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
• Subject: education ; religion ; religious participation ; Ramadan ; social identity ; social capital ; PISA ; TIMMS

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Hornung, Erik ; Schwerdt, Guido ; Strazzeri, Maurizio
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo)
• (where): Munich
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/248894
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET