Stephen Cranney at Baylor University analyzed pooled General Social Survey data from 2004-2018 and compared marital satisfaction across religious groups on a 1-10 scale.
LDS same-faith marriages scored 9.3 out of 10 — the highest of any religious group measured. Evangelical marriages: 8.9. Mainline Protestants: 8.5. Black Protestants: 8.3. Jews: 8.2. Catholics: 8.2. Unaffiliated: 7.9.
The GSS is one of the longest-running and most respected social surveys in the United States, administered by NORC at the University of Chicago. The data is nationally representative and spans 14 years of pooled responses.
71% of LDS-to-LDS couples separately reported being "very happy" in their marriages, reinforcing the satisfaction finding from a different angle.
Discussion