(ECNS) – In contrast to the public stereotype that "monks are rich," the China Religion Survey 2015 released on Tuesday shows that religious workers make very little money, and that many are not covered by the country's pension plan or health care program.
The study, released by the National Survey Research Center at Renmin University of China, surveyed 4,382 religious sites across 31 regions between 2013 and 2015, highlighting five main religions in China — Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Islam.
Statistics show the average monthly pay for workers in institutions related to those five religions is 506 yuan ($81.50). With regard to Buddhist sites, which have often made headlines and sparked heated debate in recent years, monks only make 397 yuan a month on average.
In addition, 41 percent of the religious sites canvassed had not bought old-age insurance for their workers, and 26 percent had not participated in the nation's medical care program.
The survey also discovered that only 2.5 percent of the sites charged entrance fees. While 2.5 percent of the Buddhist sites and 7 percent of the Taoist sites charged such fees, other religious sites were free to visitors.
Buddhist institutions make the greatest contributions to charity, with each Buddhist temple donating 41,000 yuan a year, far more than the average of 18,000 yuan.
