March 2026
Our members and subscribers have been requesting for several months that we dedicate an issue of Population Connection magazine to the role of religion in people’s family planning and childbearing decisions. This edition features an article by Kirsten Stade that explores the nuanced relationship religious followers have (at the population level) with their respective religions’ texts and leaders when it comes to official pronouncements on birth control and family formation.
Cover image: Custom cartoon by Joel Pett
"Many of the most religious populations in the world, who follow traditions marked by deeply pronatalist teachings, have fertility rates that are well below replacement and continuing to drop. These tend to be populations where despite strong religious affiliation, there is also a high degree of gender equality as well as education and career opportunity for women." Kirsten Stade
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