Religion, socio-economic status and fertility transition: results of a micro-level study from Hungary, 1820–1939

Peter Öri, Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO)
Levente Pakot, Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO)

Hungarian research on historical demography has pointed out considerable local differences both in the level of pre-industrial fertility and the timing and measure of fertility decline in the 19th century. At the same time, the fertility behaviour of different denominational groups also differed considerably. The differences appear to be significant at macro and micro level alike. It has not been clarified so far (and at macro level it does not seem possible) whether locality (through differing social and economic conditions) or denominational composition (through the existing religious norms) or the combination of those factors influenced the level and changes of fertility in the 19th century. In Hungary the lacks of our knowledge can be partly related to the prevailing macro perspective in historical demographic research. Recent analysis is based on the family reconstitution data of three communities from the territory of historic Hungary: on those of a western Hungarian Roman Catholic – Lutheran group of villages, on those of a central Roman Catholic – Calvinist community and on those of two Transylvanian Roman Catholic villages from Eastern Hungary (on the territory of Romania since WW I). The analysis compares the fertility patterns of three localities differing from one another in terms of geographic, socio-economic and cultural terms. It investigates the determinants of fertility level and changes both in pre-transitional and transitional period. It also focuses on the analysis of fertility differences between socio-professional and denominational groups. As for fertility decrease, it tries to explore whether the diminishing level of fertility was caused by prolonged birth intervals or can be linked to parity specific stopping behaviour, and the possible geographic, socio-professional and religious differences are considered also in this case.