Report Finds Higher Sexual Frequency and Satisfaction Among Churchgoing Couples

A new report from the Institute for Family Studies, titled "The Devout Difference: Religion, Marital Quality, and Sex Among Americans," suggests that couples who attend church regularly report higher frequencies of sexual activity and greater satisfaction compared to their secular peers. Researchers observed that while the general American population has experienced a decline in sexual frequency—a trend often referred to as a "sex recession"—regular churchgoers have remained largely resilient against this shift.

Data from the General Social Survey indicates that 62% of regular churchgoing married couples aged 20 to 54 engage in sexual activity at least weekly, compared to 48% of secular couples. The report, which also utilized findings from an IFS Religion and Family Survey of 3,125 married respondents, notes that this trend holds across denominations. Specifically, 69% of churchgoing Catholics and 60% of churchgoing Protestants reported weekly sexual activity, outperforming their "nominal" counterparts. Researchers attribute these findings to factors such as frequent prayer and a shared commitment to the belief that marriage is a lifelong covenant.