Religiosity and the realisation of fertility intentions

Autor(en)

Isabella Buber-Ennser, Caroline Berghammer

Abstrakt

Previous studies have consistently shown that religious persons both intend and have more children than their non-religious peers. However, it is yet unknown whether their higher number of children entirely reflects their higher intentions or whether religious persons also realise their intentions more often than non-religious individuals. By including different geographical regions—four countries from Western Europe and four countries from Central and Eastern Europe—this study focuses on short-term fertility intentions and their realisation over 3 years. Our study, which is mainly informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, compares three groups, based on two panel waves from the Generations and Gender Survey (2002–2013 and 2006–2016): Christians who regularly attend church services, nominal Christians, and non-affiliated persons. The results confirm that practising Christians generally intend and have more children than nominal Christians and non-affiliated persons. Effects are much stronger in Western than in Central and Eastern Europe. However, we find only weak significant differences in realising childbearing intentions by religiosity. This is in line with the theoretical assumption that obstacles to childbearing are already considered in the formation of fertility intentions.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Soziologie

Externe Organisation(en)

Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW)

Journal

Population, Space and Place

Band

27

Anzahl der Seiten

25

ISSN

1544-8444

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.2433

Publikationsdatum

03-2021

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

504006 Demographie, 504011 Familienforschung

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Demography, Geography, Planning and Development

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/fb5257d2-43e3-4e6c-a22e-739f219a7b41