William Kilpatrick writes that "The decline of Christianity in Europe led to a loss of cultural confidence and a loss of will. This loss of faith also translated into a declining birth rate." (2016, 131). As stated above, Pew Research Center (2107) confirms that religiously unaffiliated women are projected to have lower fertility rates than religiously affiliated women. However, religiosity is only one factor impacting fertility rates, and is intertwined with educational opportunities, economic development, and age of marriage amongst other factors.

QUESTION: The claim draws a causal link between secularization and fertility decline, but the highlight itself notes religiosity is only one factor intertwined with education and economics. Worth investigating how much of the fertility gap is actually driven by religiosity versus correlated socioeconomic factors.

Margaret Hodson, Baby Jihad, loc. 53