Marital Fertility and Religion: Recent Changes in Spain

No 1399, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Abstract: Since the onset of democracy in 1975, both total fertility and Mass attendance rates in Spain have dropped dramatically. I use the 1985 and 1999 Spanish Fertility Surveys to study whether the significance of religion in fertility behavior - both in family size and in the spacing of births - has changed. While in the 1985 SFS family size was similar among practicing and non-practicing Catholics, practicing Catholics portray significantly higher fertility during recent years. In the context of lower church participation, religiosity has acquired a more relevant meaning for demographic behavior. Among the youngest generation, non-practicing Catholics behave as those without affiliation. The small group of Protestants and Muslims has the highest fertility and interfaith unions are less fertile.

Keywords: fertility; religion; religiosity; Spain; timing of births (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: Written 2004-11
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