Issues@Hand

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April 2019 – Although they can’t be certain why, two researchers from University of Oklahoma revealed a dramatic birthrate decline among conservative Protestants, traditionally the demographic with the highest rates of fertility.

The February 2019 edition of Social Science Research published an article titled, “Are the faithful becoming less fruitful? The decline of conservative protestant fertility and the growing importance of religious practice and belief in childbearing in the U.S.”

With consideration given to religious tradition, religious practice, and theological fundamentalism, researchers Samuel Perry and Cyrus Schleifer compared fertility patterns for evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants, and Catholics during their childbearing years. Their findings were based on General Social Survey data from 1972 to 2016. The GSS has been a source of data on trends in contemporary American society for four decades.

Among the findings:

• Birth rates among evangelical and mainline Protestants have decreased 16% since 1972.
• Among Catholics who don't attend mass often, the birth rate dropped nine percent. However, for those who attend mass monthly or more, the birth rate increased four percent.
• Overall, Catholics who attend mass often have the highest birth rate, Evangelical Protestants, regardless of how often they attend church, have about the same birth rate as high attending mainline Protestants.

christianpost.com, 1/25/19; gss.norc.org, 7/1/18; sciencedirect.com, 2/19