2026
More marriage and parenthood among religious Americans
If you stepped into a church this past Easter and found an abundance of families, it was likely no coincidence. Data from the General Social Survey show that adults who frequently attend religious services are more likely to be married (58% vs. 41%) and have children (69% vs 55%). Notably, religious adults are also more likely to report being very happy (28% to 19%). This squares with research from a recent IFS study showing that religious young men are roughly three times more likely to be married and twice as likely to be parents than their secular peers, possibly explaining why religious young men report feeling they’ve reached adulthood at higher rates. Taken together, the data suggests a connection between faith, family, and well-being.
