Marriage is America's #1 weapon against childhood poverty. This presentation details the impact of marriage on the probability of child poverty in North Dakota.

1. Marriage:
North Dakota’s 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

2. Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in North Dakota, 1929–2010
Throughout most of North PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
Dakota’s history, out-of-wedlock
childbearing was rare. 35%
When the federal government’s 32.7%
War on Poverty began in 1964, 30%
only 3.5 percent of children in
North Dakota were born out of
wedlock. However, over the next 25%
four decades, the number rose
rapidly. By 2010, 32.7 percent of
20%
births in North Dakota occurred
outside of marriage.
15%
Note: Initiated by President Lyndon 10%
Johnson in 1964, the War on Poverty
led to the creation of more than three
dozen welfare programs to aid poor
persons. Government has spent $16.7 5%
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 North Dakota heritage.org

3. Death of Marriage in North Dakota, 1929–2010
The marital birth rate — the PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN TO MARRIED COUPLES
percentage of all births that occur
100%
to married parents — is the flip
side of the out-of-wedlock birth
rate.
Through most of the 20th cen- 90%
tury, marital births were the norm
in North Dakota. In 1964, nearly
97 percent of births occurred to
married couples. 80%
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 67.3 per-
70%
cent of births in North Dakota 67.3%
occurred to married couples.
60%
Note: In any given year, the sum of the
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1)
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2)
equals 100 percent of all births.
50%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Statistics.
Chart 2 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

4. In North Dakota, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 91 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
childbearing is a major cause of 45%
high levels of child poverty in 40.8%
North Dakota. 40%
Some 40.8 percent of single
mothers with children are poor 35%
compared to 3.7 percent of mar-
ried couples with children. 30%
Single-parent families with
25%
children are eleven times more
likely to be poor than families in
20%
which the parents are married.
The higher poverty rate among 15%
single-mother families is due both
to the lower education levels of 10%
the mothers and the lower income
due to the absence of the father. 5% 3.7%
0%
Single-Parent, Married,Two-Parent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Female-Headed Families
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data. Families
Chart 3 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

5. In North Dakota, One-Quarter of All Families with Children
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about three-quarters of families
with children in North Dakota.
About one-quarter are
single-parent families.
Unmarried
Families
26.9%
Married
Families
73.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 4 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

6. In North Dakota, 77 Percent of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in North Dakota, more
than three-quarters are not
married. By contrast, only 23.1
percent of poor families with
children are headed by married Married
couples. Families
23.1%
Unmarried
Families
76.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 5 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

7. In North Dakota, 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 5.8 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in North Under
Age 18:
Dakota occur to girls under age 5.8%
18.
By contrast, some 81 percent of Age
out-of-wedlock births occur to 30–54: Age
young adult women between the 12.9% 18–19:
ages of 18 and 29. 14.3%
Age
25–29:
24.0%
Age
20–24:
43.0%
Note: Figures have been rounded.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data.
Chart 6 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

8. Less-Educated Women Are More Likely to Give Birth
Outside of Marriage
Unwed childbearing occurs PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
most frequently among the OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
women who will have the greatest 100% Unmarried
difficulty supporting children by 5.5%
90%
Mothers
themselves: those with low levels
of education. 35.4%
80%
In North Dakota, among 54.0%
women who are high school drop- 70%
74.6%
outs, about 74.6 percent of all 60%
births occur outside marriage. 94.5% Married
Among women who have only a 50% Mothers
high school diploma, over half of
40%
all births occur outside marriage. 64.6%
By contrast, among women with 30%
at least a college degree, only 5.5 46.0%
percent of births are out of wed- 20%
lock. 25.4%
10%
0%
High School High School Some College Mother’s
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Dropout Graduate College Graduate education
Human Services, Centers for Disease (0–11 (12 (13–15 (16+ level
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Years) Years) Years) Years)
Chart 7 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

9. Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective
in Reducing Child Poverty in North Dakota
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 62.9%
couple is compared to single par- 60%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in North Dakota, 50%
the poverty rate for a single
mother who has only a high 40% 38.2%
school diploma is 38.2 percent,
but the poverty rate for a married 30%
29.8%
couple family headed by an indi-
vidual who, similarly, has only a 20%
high school degree is far lower at
9.6% 11.1%
6.1 percent. 10% 6.1% 4.1%
On average, marriage drops the 1.5%
poverty rate by about 85 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.
Chart 8 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

10. Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in North Dakota
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
In 2008, 33.6 percent of births 100%
in North Dakota occurred outside 8.3%
90%
marriage. The rate was lowest
81.3%
among non-Hispanic whites at 80%
over one in four (26.9 percent).
Among blacks, 37.2 percent were 70%
to unmarried women. Among
Hispanics, 45.9 percent of births 60%
were out of wedlock. The rate was
highest among American Indian 50% 45.9%
women at well over eight in ten
births (81.3 percent). 40% 37.2%
33.6%
30% 26.9%
20%
10%
0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races White Black Hispanic American
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non- Indian
data. Hispanic Hispanic
Chart 9 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

11. Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in North Dakota
ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
In North Dakota in 2008, some
81.9 percent of all births occurred
to non-Hispanic whites, 10.9
percent occurred to American
Indians, and 3.1 percent occurred
to Hispanics.
Because Hispanics and Ameri-
can Indians are more likely to have
children without being married, 81.9% 65.8%
they account for a disproportion-
ately larger share of all out-of-
wedlock births. Even so, the larg- White Non-
est number of unwed births occur Hispanic
to white non-Hispanic women.
In North Dakota in 2008, 65.8
percent of all non-marital births
were to non-Hispanic whites, 26.4
percent were to American Indian
women, and 4.3 percent were to 26.4%
Hispanics. American
10.9% Indian
3.1% Hispanic 4.3%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and 1.7% Black Non-Hispanic 1.8%
Human Services, Centers for Disease 1.2% Asian/Pacific Islander 0.3%
1.2% Not Stated 1.5%
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.
Chart 10 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

12. Non-Married White Families Are Ten Times More Likely to Be Poor
in North Dakota
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, Hispanics,
and American Indians. 30%
For example, in 2009, the pov- 27.7%
erty rate for married white families
in North Dakota was 2.8 percent. 25%
But the poverty rate for non-
married white families was ten
times higher at 27.7 percent. 20%
15%
10%
5%
2.8%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 11 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

13. Non-Married Black Families Are Three Times More Likely to Be Poor
in North Dakota
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in North
Dakota was 11 percent, while the
40%
poverty rate for non-married black
families was three times higher at 34.4%
34.4 percent. 35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
11.0%
10%
5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 12 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

14. Non-Married American Indian Families Are Three Times More Likely
to Be Poor in North Dakota
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married American Indian families
in North Dakota was 18.3 percent,
70%
while the poverty rate among
non-married families was three
times higher at 57.3 percent. 60% 57.3%
50%
40%
30%
20% 18.3%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 13 • Marriage and Poverty in North Dakota heritage.org

15. 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.

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