Institute for Family Studies publishes report on religion and marriage

The Institute for Family Studies published a report on September 25 titled "The Devout Difference: Religion, Marital Quality, and Sex Among Americans," which finds that Catholics who attend Mass regularly report higher levels of marital happiness and sexual satisfaction.

According to the study, which used data from the General Social Survey, the 2026 IFS Religion and Family Survey, CARA, YouGov, and Pew Research, approximately 79 percent of churchgoing Catholics describe their marriages as very happy. This compares to 66 percent of nonreligious married couples and 74 percent of practicing Protestants. Researchers defined churchgoing as attending Mass or religious services at least two or three times per month.

The report also notes that regular church attendance is linked to higher marriage rates. Adults who attend church regularly are 39 percent more likely to be married than those who do not. Among Catholics aged 20 to 54, 57 percent are married, while 47 percent of Catholics who do not attend regularly are married.