Marriage & Poverty: Illinois

Marriage:
Illinois’ No. 1 Weapon
Against
Childhood Poverty
How the Collapse of Marriage Hurts Children
and Three Steps to Reverse the Damage
A Heritage Foundation Book of Charts • January 2012

Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society

Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in Illinois, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Illinois’ PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbear-
ing was rare. 50%

When the federal government’s
War on Poverty began in 1964,
only 7.7 percent of children in 40.5%
40%
Illinois were born out of wedlock.
However, over the next four
decades, the number rose rapidly.
By 2010, 40.5 percent of births in 30%
Illinois occurred outside of mar-
riage.

20%

Note: Initiated by President Lyndon
Johnson in 1964, the War on Poverty
led to the creation of more than three 10%
dozen welfare programs to aid poor
persons. Government has spent $16.7
trillion on means-tested aid to the poor
since 1964.
0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Statistics.

Chart 1 • Marriage and Poverty in Illinois heritage.org

Death of Marriage in Illinois, 1929–2010
The marital birth rate — the PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN TO MARRIED COUPLES
percentage of all births that occur
to married parents — is the ﬂip 100%
side of the out-of-wedlock birth
rate.
Through most of the 20th cen- 90%
tury, marital births were the norm
in Illinois in 1964, more than 92
percent of births occurred to
married couples. 80%
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 59.5 per-
70%
cent of births in Illinois occurred
to married couples.

60%
Note: In any given year, the sum of the 59.5%
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1)
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2)
equals 100 percent of all births.
50%
Statistics.


In Illinois, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 85 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 50%
cause of high levels of child pov-
erty in Illinois.
Some 36.8 percent of single
40% 36.8%
mothers with children were poor
compared to 5.7 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with 30%
children are more than six times
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar- 20%
ried.
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both
10%
to the lower education levels of 5.7%
the mothers and the lower income
due to the absence of the father.
0%
Single-Parent, Married,Two-Parent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Female-Headed Families
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data. Families


In Illinois, One-Third of All Families with Children Are Not Married

Overall, married couples head
two-thirds of families with
children in Illinois. Nearly
one-third are single-parent
families.

Unmarried
Families
32.1%
Married
Families
67.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.


In Illinois, 73 Percent of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married

Among poor families with
children in Illinois, 73 percent are
not married. By contrast, 27
percent of poor families with
children are headed by married
couples. Married
Families
27.1%
Unmarried
Families
72.9%



In Illinois, Few Unwed Births Occur to Teenagers
Out-of-wedlock births are often PERCENTAGE OF OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
confused erroneously with teen BY AGE OF MOTHER
births, but only 7.9 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Illinois Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 74 percent of 7.9%
out-of-wedlock births occur to Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 18.3% Age
18–19:
14.5%

Age
25–29:
23.3% Age
20–24:
36.0%

Note: Figures have been rounded.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data.


Less-Educated Women Are More Likely to Give Birth
Outside of Marriage
Unwed childbearing occurs most PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
frequently among the women who OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
will have the greatest difﬁculty sup- 100%
porting children by themselves: those 8.1% Unmarried
with low levels of education. 90%
Mothers
In the U.S., among women who 42.0%
80%
are high school dropouts, about 65.2
percent of all births occur outside
54.5%
70%
marriage. Among women who have 65.2%
only a high school diploma, well over 60% Married
half of all births occur outside mar- 91.9%
50%
Mothers
riage. By contrast, among women
with at least a college degree, only
40%
8.1 percent of births are out of wed- 58.0%
lock. 30%
45.5%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock 20%
births and maternal education are not 34.8%
available in Illinois. However, the pattern 10%
varies little between states. Illinois data
will be very similar to the national data 0%
presented in this chart. High School High School Some College Mother’s
Dropout Graduate College Graduate education
(0–11 (12 (13–15 (16+ level
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS data. Years) Years) Years) Years)


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective
in Reducing Child Poverty in Illinois
The poverty rate of married PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES Poverty Rate of Families by
couples with children is dramati- WITH CHILDREN THAT Single
Education and Marital Status
cally lower than the rate for house- ARE POOR Married
of the Head of Household
holds headed by single parents. 70%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 60% 58.8%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in Illinois, the 50%
poverty rate for a single mother
who has only a high school 40% 39.5%
diploma is 39.5 percent, but the
poverty rate for a married couple 30% 29.6%
family headed by an individual
who, similarly, has only a high 20%
19.9%
school degree is far lower at 8.1
percent. 10.9%
10% 8.1%
4.2%
On average, marriage drops the 1.7%
poverty rate by about 79 percent 0%
among families with the same High School High School Some College
education level. Dropout Graduate College Graduate

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Note: Virtually none of the heads of families in the chart who are high school
Community Survey, 2005–2009 data. dropouts are minor teenagers.


Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Illinois
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
100%
In 2008, 40.7 percent of all
births in Illinois occurred outside 8.3%
90%
marriage. The unwed birth rate
was lowest among non-Hispanic 79.8%
80%
whites at over one in four births
(25.9 percent). 70%
Among Hispanics, well over half
of births were out-of-wedlock. 60%
52.1%
Among blacks, eight out of 10
50%
births were to unmarried women
(79.8 percent). 40.7%
40%

30% 25.9%
20%

10%

0%
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races White Hispanic Black
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic


Growth of Unwed Childbearing by Race in Illinois, 1934–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
more frequent among blacks than 100%
among whites. However, prior to
the onset of the federal 90%
Black Non-
government’s War on Poverty in Hispanic
80%
1964, the rates for both whites and 79.8%
blacks were comparatively low.
70%
In 1964, less than one in thirty
(3.1 percent) white children were 60%
born outside marriage. By 2008, Hispanic
the number had risen to over one 50% 52.1%
in four (25.9 percent).
In 1964, three in ten black 40%
children (30.2 percent) were born White Non-
30%
outside marriage. By 2008, the Hispanic
number had risen to eight in ten 25.9%
20%
(79.8 percent).
10%

0%
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Illinois

In Illinois in 2008, some 52.6 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 17.5 percent
occurred to non-Hispanic blacks,
and 24.2 percent occurred to
Hispanics. 52.6% White Non- 33.5%
Because blacks and Hispanics Hispanic
are more likely to have children
without being married, they
account for a disproportionately
larger share of all out-of-wedlock
births. 34.2%
In Illinois in 2008, 33.5 percent
of all non-marital births were to Black Non-
17.5%
non-Hispanic whites, 34.2 percent Hispanic
were to black non-Hispanic
women, and 31 percent were to
Hispanics. 24.2% Hispanic 31.0%

5.7% Asian/Other 1.3%
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Nearly Eight Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Illinois
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
25%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
erty rate for married white families
in Illinois was 2.6 percent. But the 19.9%
poverty rate for non-married white 20%
families was nearly eight times
higher at 19.9 percent.
15%

10%

5%
2.6%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Five Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Illinois
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Illinois
was 6.8 percent, while the poverty
40%
rate for non-married black families 36.9%
was ﬁve times higher at 36.9
percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%
6.8%
5%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Three Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Illinois
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Illinois was 11.2 percent, while the
40%
poverty rate among non-married
families was three times higher at 34.8%
34.8 percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15%
11.2%
10%

5%

0%


Three Steps to Reduce Child Poverty through Marriage

1) Provide information on the benefits of marriage in reducing child poverty
and improving child well-being.

Marriage is a highly effective institution which greatly decreases parental and child
poverty while improving long-term outcomes for children. Conversely, the absence of
marriage greatly increases welfare costs and imposes added burdens on taxpayers.
Unfortunately, almost no information on these topics is available in low-income
communities. This information deficit should be corrected in the following manner:

• Explain the benefits of marriage in middle and high schools with a high
proportion of at-risk youth;
• Create public education campaigns in low-income communities on the
benefits of marriage; and,
• Require federally funded birth control clinics to provide information on the
benefits of marriage and the skills needed to develop stable families to
interested low-income clients.

2) Reduce anti-marriage penalties in means-tested welfare programs.

3) Promote life-goal-planning, marriage-strengthening, and divorce-reduction
programs to increase healthy marriages and reduce divorce and separation.

The Family & Religion Initiative is one of 10 Transformational Initiatives making up The Heritage
Foundation’s Leadership for America campaign. For more products and information related to this initiative
or to learn more about the Leadership for America campaign, please visit heritage.org.

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