BACKGROUND

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, religiosity has resurged in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. However, since the late 1990s, research on religion's impact on contraceptive use and differences between religious groups has been lacking. Islam and Christianity align with the major ethnicities, Kazakhs and Russians, and show variation in fertility and demographic transition stages.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore contraceptive use variation among religious affiliations and to understand the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Using Kazakhstan's 2020 Generations and Gender Survey, this research employs causal mediation analysis and linear probability models.

RESULTS

The findings indicate lower contraceptive use among Muslims than Christians. Religiosity and desired children partially explain these differences. Notably, religious affiliation does not mediate through education, employment, or self-assessed wealth, suggesting other contextual factors are at play.

CONCLUSIONS

Current theories inadequately explain diverse family planning patterns within one nation. Further investigation is needed to rectify misconceptions about contraceptive permissibility and encourage sexual education in order to overcome cultural taboos around reproductive health.