Religious Practice and Student Performance: Evidence from Ramadan Fasting

Abstract

We investigate how the intensity of Ramadan affects educational outcomes by exploiting spatiotemporal 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.

Keywords: education, religion, religious participation, Ramadan, social identity, social capital, PISA, TIMMS

JEL Classification: I210, Z120, J240, O150