Marriage Poverty - United States

Marriage:
The United States’ 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 • 2012

Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society

Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in the United States, 1929–2010
Throughout most of U.S. 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, 40.8%
only 6.8 percent of children in the 40%
U.S. were born out of wedlock.
However, over the next four
decades, the number rose rapidly.
By 2010, 40.8 percent of births in 30%
the U.S. 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 the United States heritage.org

Death of Marriage in the United States, 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 the U.S. In 1964, over 93 per-
cent of births occurred to married
couples. 80%
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 59.2 per-
70%
cent of births in the U.S. occurred
to married couples.

60% 59.2%
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.


In the United States, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 82 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
childbearing is a major cause of 40%
high levels of child poverty in the 37.1%
United States.
35%
Some 37.1 percent of single
mothers with children are poor 30%
compared to 6.8 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
25%
Single-parent families with
children are nearly six times more
20%
likely to be poor than families in
which the parents are married.
15%
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both
10%
to the lower education levels of the 6.8%
mothers and the lower income due
to the absence of the father. 5%

0%
Single-Parent, Married,Two-Parent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Female-Headed Families
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data. Families


In the United States, One-Third of All Families with Children
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about two-thirds of families with
children in the United States.
One-third are single-parent
families.

Unmarried
Families
33.4%
Married
Families
66.6%

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


In the United States, 71 Percent of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in the United States, 71
percent are not married. By
contrast, only 29 percent of poor
families with children are headed
by married couples. Married
Families
29.2%
Unmarried
Families
70.8%



In the United States, 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 7.7 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in the U.S. Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 75 percent of 7.7%
out-of-wedlock births occur to
young adult women between the Age
ages of 18 and 29. 30–54:
17.7% Age
18–19:
14.5%

Age
25–29:
23.0% Age
20–24:
37.1%

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 PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
most frequently among the OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
women who will have the greatest 100%
8.1% Unmarried
difﬁculty supporting children by
90%
Mothers
themselves: those with low levels
of education. 42.0%
80%
In the U.S., among women who 54.5%
are high school dropouts, about 70%
65.2%
65.2 percent of all births occur 60%
outside marriage. Among women 91.9% Married
who have only a high school 50% Mothers
diploma, well over half of all births
occur outside marriage. By con- 40%
58.0%
trast, among women with at least a 30%
college degree, only 8.1 percent of 45.5%
births are out of wedlock. 20%
34.8%
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
data. Years) Years) Years) Years)


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing
Child Poverty in the United States
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- 58.8%
60%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in the U.S., the 50%
poverty rate for a single mother
who has only a high school 40% 38.8%
diploma is 38.8 percent, but the
poverty rate for a married couple 30% 28.7%
family headed by an individual 24.0%
who, similarly, has only a high 20%
school degree is far lower at
8.9 percent. 8.9% 10.6%
10%
4.6%
On average, marriage drops the 1.8%
poverty rate by about 76 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 the United States
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
100%
In 2008, 40.6 percent of births
in the U.S. occurred outside mar- 8.3%
90%
riage. The rate was lowest among
non-Hispanic whites. Among that 80%
group nearly three in ten births 72.3%
were non-marital. 70%
Among Hispanics, over half
(52.5 percent) of births were out 60%
52.5%
of wedlock. Among blacks, nearly
50%
three in every four births were to
unmarried women (72.3 percent). 40.6%
40%

30% 28.6%

20%

10%

Source: U.S. Department of Health and 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 the United States,
1931–2008
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%
government’s War on Poverty in
80% Black Non-
1964, the rates for both whites and
blacks were comparatively low. Hispanic
70% 72.3%
In 1964, about one in thirty (3.4
percent) white children was born 60%
outside marriage. By 2008, the Hispanic
number had risen to almost three 50% 52.5%
in ten (28.6 percent).
40%
In 1964, about one in four black
children (24.5 percent) were born White Non-
30% Hispanic
outside marriage. By 2008, the
28.6%
number had risen to nearly three
20%
in four (72.3 percent).
10%

Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census 0%
Bureau, and National Center for Health
Statistics. 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in the United States
In the United States in 2008, ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
some 53.4 percent of all births
occurred to non-Hispanic whites,
24.5 percent occurred to Hispan-
ics, and 14.7 percent occurred to
black non-Hispanics. 53.4% White Non- 37.6%
Because blacks and Hispanics Hispanic
are more likely to have children
without being married, they
account for a disproportionately
large share of all out-of-wedlock
births. Even so, the largest number
of unwed births are to white non- 31.7%
Hispanic women. Hispanic
In the U.S. in 2008, 37.6 percent 24.5%
of all non-marital births were to
non-Hispanic whites, 31.7 percent
were to Hispanic women, and 26.1 26.1%
14.7% Black Non-
percent were to Hispanics.
Hispanic
7.4% Asian/Other 4.6%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Seven Times More Likely to Be Poor
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-
22.0%
erty rate for married white families
in the U.S. was 3.2 percent. But
the poverty rate for non-married 20%
white families was seven times
higher at 22 percent.
15%

10%

5%
3.2%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Five Times More Likely to Be Poor
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in the U.S.
was 7 percent, while the poverty
40%
rate for non-married black families
was ﬁve times higher at 35.6 35.6%
percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%
7.0%
5%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Three Times More Likely to Be Poor
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in the
U.S. was 13.2 percent, while the
40% 37.9%
poverty rate among non-married
families was about three times
higher at 37.9 percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15% 13.2%

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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Marriage Poverty - United States

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