published in: Population Studies, 2006, 60 (2), 205-221
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.
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