The relationship between religion and fertility: Evidence from Austria

Data from the Austrian Family and Fertility Survey are used to examine for the first time the contemporary relationship between religion and fertility in first unions in Austria. Although Austria is a Catholic country, results from a Poisson hurdle model show that both women s denominational affiliation and religiosity affect the number of children born. Unions religious composition does not result in clear evidence. There furthermore is mainly no effect of religion on the timing of births. There however is a puzzle: Females and unions of other than Catholic or no religious affiliation have a higher transition rate to third birth.