HOW DOES DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE SHAPE RELIGIOUS PARTICIPATION AMONG URBAN MUSLIMS? A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING ANALYSIS FROM BANJARMASIN

Nur Falikhah (Universitas Islam Negeri Antasari Banjarmasin, Indonesia)
Vanisha Karupaiah (Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia)
Anwar Fuadi (Universitas Islam Negeri Antasari Banjarmasin, Indonesia)

Akademika : Jurnal Pemikiran Islam
Vol 31 No 1 (2026)

Within the framework of religious demography, religious participation can be understood as a phenomenon shaped by population structure rather than by isolated individual attributes. However, empirical studies of urban Muslim communities in Southeast Asia have rarely examined how demographic characteristics are structurally associated with patterns of religiosity. To address this gap, the present study analyzes the relationship between demographic structure and religious participation among adult Muslims in Banjarmasin, Indonesia. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 312 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. Religious participation was operationalized as a multidimensional construct encompassing congregational worship, community religious activities, and religion-based social involvement. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, binary logistic regression, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The regression results show that age and education are positively associated with the intensity of religious participation, while employment status and migration background are negatively associated. The logistic regression model indicates that gender, marital status, and length of residence significantly increase the probability of individuals being classified in the high participation category. At the latent level, the SEM results indicate a statistically significant structural association between demographic structure and religious participation, supporting the view that religiosity in urban settings is linked to individuals’ positions within population configurations. By distinguishing observed-variable and latent-construct analyses, this study contributes to the structural demography of religion by providing empirical evidence that urban Muslim religiosity in Southeast Asia is systematically associated with demographic positioning. The findings enrich the limited literature on urban Muslim religiosity and offer empirically grounded insights for scholars and policymakers concerned with religion, demography, and urban social dynamics.