Determinants of religious giving in an eastern-culture economy. Empirical evidence from Taiwan

Using the data of Taiwan Social Change Survey, this study examines the determinants of religious giving for an Eastern-culture country with people mostly adhering to folk beliefs, Buddhism, and Taoism. After estimating a Tobit model with simultaneous equations of religious giving and attendance, the results indicate that there is a positive- relationship between giving and attendance. Furthermore, the price elasticity of religious giving is statistically significant and elastic for individuals adhering to Eastern religions, but not for individuals affiliated with Christianity. However unlike the findings from previous studies, one's income level appears to have only a slight influence on religious giving or attendance for individuals adhering to Eastern religions or Christianity in Taiwan. The findings of this study are supportive for the economic argument to increase people's religiosity through tax deductions for religious giving.