Churchgoing Catholic couples trend the happiest, report finds

Churchgoing Catholic couples report higher levels of happiness and marital strength than their secular peers, according to a report published by the Institute for Family Studies on Sept. 25.

The report found that happiness more than doubled among spouses who attend church compared to those who do not. Brad Wilcox, a senior fellow and director of the Get Married Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies, told EWTN News that 79% of churchgoing Catholics and 74% of churchgoing Protestants are very happily married, while 66% of nonreligious husbands and wives reported the same. Wilcox also noted that churchgoing Catholics and Protestants marry more often, have more children, and experience less divorce than secular individuals.

Regarding sexual satisfaction, Wilcox stated that 55% of churchgoing Catholics and 45% of churchgoing Protestants rate their sex lives as excellent or very good. These figures are higher than the 45% reported by nominal Catholics, 35% by nominal Protestants, and 40% by those with no religious affiliation. Additionally, the report found that churchgoers are 39% more likely to be married than their peers.