Religious Differentials in Reproductive Behavior: A Replication and Extension

Abstract

A number of studies have demonstrated the influence of religion on reproductive behavior. The different social and economic composition of the religious groups, however, may possibly confound the influence of religion with other factors. In the present study, precision-matching is used to test whether Catholic-Protestant fertility differentials may be due to differences in duration of marriage, socioeconomic status, and education of wife. The findings indicate that religion exerts an independent influence on fertility, and that future research might profitably focus on the mechanisms through which this factor operates.