(OSV News) — To explain the dropping U.S. fertility rate, Catholic fertility and family policy experts are pointing to marriage.
“One of the biggest drivers of the American fertility drop is the decline of marriage,” Leah Libresco Sargeant, who has written about family policy and is the author of several books, including an upcoming book called “The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto,” told OSV News in emailed comments.
Patrika Desk, patrika
Does Having Children Make People Happier in the Long Run?
The Porn Gap: Gender Differences in Pornography Use in Couple Relationships
Baby Bust: Fertility is Declining the Most Among Minority Women
Six Lessons on Staying Married from Couples Who’ve Struggled and Made It
Should Couples in Unhappy Marriages Stay Together?
(434) 326-7583
info@ifstudies.org
P.O. Box 1502
Charlottesville, VA 22902
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
Interested in learning more about the work of the Institute for Family Studies? Please feel free to contact us by using your preferred method detailed below.
P.O. Box 1502
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 260-1048
For media inquiries, contact Chris Bullivant (chris@ifstudies.org).
We encourage members of the media interested in learning more about the people and projects behind the work of the Institute for Family Studies to get started by perusing our "Media Kit" materials.
Before you go, consider subscribing to our weekly emails so we can keep you updated with latest insights, articles, and reports.
Before you go, consider subscribing to IFS so we can keep you updated with news, articles, and reports.
We’ll keep you up to date with the latest from our research and articles.