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

1. Marriage:
New Hampshire’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 New Hampshire, 1929–2010
Throughout most of New PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
Hampshire’s history, out-of-
wedlock childbearing was rare. 50%
In 1968, just four years after the
federal government began the War
on Poverty, only 4.8 percent of 40.8%
40%
children in New Hampshire were
born outside marriage. However,
over the next five decades, the 33.2%
number rose rapidly. By 2010, 33.2 30%
percent of births in New Hamp-
shire occurred outside of marriage. National
New
20% Hampshire
Note: Data on non-marital births in
New Hampshire are unavailable
between 1940 and 1967. However, all
states that do have data for this period
show a rapid growth in non-marital 10%
childbearing from the mid-1960s on.
The New Hampshire trend during this
period undoubtedly parallels the
national trend shown in the chart.
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 New Hampshire heritage.org

3. In New Hampshire, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 93 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 30%
cause of high levels of child pov- 28.2%
erty in New Hampshire.
Some 28.2 percent of single 25%
mothers with children are poor
compared to 2 percent of married
couples with children. 20%
Single-parent families with
children are fourteen times more
15%
likely to be poor than families in
which the parents are married.
The higher poverty rate among 10%
single-mother families is due both
to the lower education levels of
the mothers and the lower income 5%
due to the absence of the father. 2.0%
0%
Single-Parent, Married,Two-Parent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Female-Headed Families
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data. Families
Chart 2 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

4. In New Hampshire, Three in Ten Families With Children
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about 73 percent of families with
children in New Hampshire.
Nearly three in ten are
single-parent families.
Unmarried
Families
27.5%
Married
Families
72.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 3 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

5. In New Hampshire, 83 Percent of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in New Hampshire, four
in five are not married. By
contrast, only 17.4 percent of poor
Married
families with children are headed Families
by married couples.
17.4%
Unmarried
Families
82.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 4 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

6. In New Hampshire, 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 4.8 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in New Under
Age 18:
Hampshire occur to girls under 4.8%
age 18.
By contrast, some 78 percent of
out-of-wedlock births occur to Age Age
young adult women between the 30–54: 18–19:
ages of 18 and 29. 17.0% 13.7%
Age
25–29:
24.8% Age
20–24:
39.7%
Note: Figures have been rounded.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data.
Chart 5 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

7. 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 6.0%
Mothers
themselves: those with low levels 90%
of education. 36.1%
80%
In New Hampshire, among
70% 55.5%
women who are high school drop-
outs, about 75.9 percent of all 75.9%
60% Married
births occur outside marriage. 94.0%
Among women who have only a 50% Mothers
high school diploma, well over
one-half of all births occur outside 40%
63.9%
marriage. By contrast, among 30%
women with at least a college 44.5%
degree, only 6 percent of births are 20%
out of wedlock. 24.1%
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 Years) Years) Years) Years)
data.
Chart 6 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

8. Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective
in Reducing Child Poverty in New Hampshire
The poverty rate of married PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES Poverty Rate of Families by
WITH CHILDREN THAT Single
couples with children is dramati- Education and Marital Status
ARE POOR Married
cally lower than the rate for house- of the Head of Household
holds headed by single parents. 60%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par-
ents with the same education level. 50% 48.1%
For example, in New Hamp-
shire, the poverty rate for a single 40%
mother who has only a high
school diploma is 28.2 percent, 30% 28.2%
but the poverty rate for a married
couple family headed by an indi- 20.6%
20%
vidual who, similarly, has only a
high school degree is far lower at 12.4%
3 percent. 10% 8.2%
On average, marriage drops the 3.0% 1.9% 0.8%
poverty rate by around 86 percent 0%
among families with the same High School High School Some College
Dropout Graduate College Graduate
education level.
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 7 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

9. Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in New Hampshire
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
60%
In 2008 (the most recent year
for which racial breakdown is 8.3%
available), one in three births 48.7%
(32.9 percent) in New Hampshire 50%
occurred outside marriage.
The rate was lowest among 39.5%
40%
Asians at about one in 15 births (7
percent). Among whites, one-third 32.9% 33.1%
of births were out of wedlock.
30%
Among blacks, four in ten were
to unmarried women. Among
Hispanics, about half of births 20%
were out of wedlock.
10% 7.0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and 0%
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races Asian/Pacific White Black Hispanic
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Islander Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic
Chart 8 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

10. Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire in 2008, ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
some 89.1 percent of all births
occurred to non-Hispanic whites,
4 percent occurred to Hispanics,
and 1.7 percent occurred to non-
Hispanic blacks.
Because blacks and Hispanics
are more likely to have children
without being married, they
account for slightly larger shares of 89.1% White Non- 89.8%
all out-of-wedlock births. Even so, Hispanic
the largest number of unwed
births are to white non-Hispanic
women.
In New Hampshire in 2008,
89.8 percent of all non-marital
births were to non-Hispanic white
women, 5.9 percent were to His-
panic women, and 2.1 percent
were to black non-Hispanic 4.0% Hispanic 5.9%
women.
3.9% Asian 0.8%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and 1.7% Black Non-Hispanic 2.1%
Human Services, Centers for Disease 1.3% American Indian/Other 1.4%
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.
Chart 9 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

11. Non-Married White Families Are Eleven Times More Likely to Be Poor
in New Hampshire
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 New Hampshire was 1.8 per-
20% 19.2%
cent. But the poverty rate for
non-married white families was
eleven times higher at 19.2 per-
cent. 15%
10%
5%
1.8%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 10 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

12. Non-Married Black Families Are Five Times More Likely to Be Poor
in New Hampshire
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in New
Hampshire was 11.4 percent,
70%
while the poverty rate for non-
married black families was five 61.8%
times higher at 61.8 percent. 60%
The poverty rate for married
Hispanic families in New Hamp- 50%
shire is also far lower than the rate
for non-married Hispanic families.
However, the small sample size 40%
makes an exact calculation impos-
sible. 30%
20%
11.4%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 11 • Marriage and Poverty in New Hampshire heritage.org

13. 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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