Religious Affiliation and Indigenous Fertility in Chiapas, Mexico

Eunice D. Vargas Valle, University of Texas at Austin

The purpose of this paper is to analyze religious differentials in indigenous fertility. Given that indigenous fertility has been characterized by the presence of children soon after marriage and until mature ages, the idea is to analyze if women of different religions have modified this reproductive pattern. First, we calculate the ASFRs and TFRs for indigenous women in Chiapas, MX by religious affiliation. Then, using logistic regression models, we assess the religious differentials in fertility for indigenous women in the age groups 15-19, 20-29 and 30-39, net of the effect of socioeconomic covariates. The results show that, in comparison with Catholics, Historical Protestants and Biblical Non-Evangelicals have higher adolescent fertility, but lower fertility after age 30. This change in fertility schedules does not lead to large differentials in fertility levels by religious affiliation, but points to different ways that religion may affect the reproductive process.