Religion and fertility.

This survey of women in Rhode Island found that the influence of rel igion on fertility has varied greatly over time. The 1967-1969 survey f ound actual desired and expected fertility were all greater for Catholic women than Protestant. In a mixed marriage the religion of the wife had a stronger relationship to the fertility of the couple than did that of the husband. Introduction of education as a test fact did not eliminate the religious factor. In fact it introduced a new variable. Among Protestants children desired followed a U-shaped curve. Those with less than 12-years of education expected 3.1 children those with high school education 2.9 and those with college 3.2. This is interpreted to mean that greater education meant greater income and less financial strain if an extra child were born. For Catholics the number of children expected rose from 3.3 for those with less than 12 years of school to 3.7 for those with some college. Howeve r interviews conducted in 1971 show that the influence of religion on f ertility is less. The number of children desired by Catholics declined from 3.3 to 2.8 by Protestants from 3.1 to 2.7. Among women under 30 the desired number of children was the same for both religions. The earlier U-shaped pattern for Protestants became inverse with the more educated wanting fewer children. The same thing happened with Catholics a direct reversal of the previous trend. If Rhode Island is typical of the nation the expected positive relation between education and fertility for Catholics is no longer reality. It remains to be seen if this results in a drop in total family size.