Marriage Reduces Child Poverty by 87% in NJ

Marriage:
New Jersey’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 • 2012

Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society

Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in New Jersey, 1929–2010
Throughout most of New PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
Jersey’s history, out-of-wedlock
childbearing was rare. 40%

When the federal government’s 35.0%
War on Poverty began in 1964, 35%
only 5.4 percent of children in
New Jersey were born out of 30%
wedlock. However, over the next
four decades, the number rose
25%
rapidly. By 2010, 35 percent of
births in New Jersey occurred
outside of marriage. 20%

15%
Note: Initiated by President Lyndon
Johnson in 1964, the War on Poverty 10%
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 New Jersey heritage.org

Death of Marriage in New Jersey, 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 New Jersey. In 1964, nearly 95
percent of births occurred to
married couples. 80%
However, in the mid-1960s,
the marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 65 percent
70%
of births in New Jersey occurred
to married couples.
65.0%

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%
Statistics.


In New Jersey, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 87 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
childbearing is a major cause of 35%
high levels of child poverty in New
Jersey.
30% 28.7%
Some 28.7 percent of single
mothers with children are poor
compared to 3.7 percent of 25%
married couples with children.
Single-parent families with 20%
children are nearly eight times
more likely to be poor than
families in which the parents are 15%
married.
The higher poverty rate among 10%
single-mother families is due both
to the lower education levels of 3.7%
5%
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 New Jersey, Three in Ten Families with Children Are Not Married

Overall, married couples head
about 70 percent of families with
children in New Jersey. About 30
percent are single-parent families.

Unmarried
Families
29.4%
Married
Families
70.6%

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


In New Jersey, 74 Percent of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in New Jersey, about
three-quarters are not married. By
contrast, one-quarter of poor
families with children are headed
by married couples. Married
Families
25.9%

Unmarried
Families
74.1%



In New Jersey, 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 5.4 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in New Under
Age 18:
Jersey occur to girls under age 18. 5.4%
By contrast, some 70 percent of
out-of-wedlock births occur to
young adult women between the Age
ages of 18 and 29. Age 18–19:
30–54: 11.2%
24.5%

Age
20–24:
Age 33.0%
25–29:
25.9%

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
100% Unmarried
supporting children by themselves: 8.1%
those with low levels of education. 90%
Mothers
In the U.S., among women who 42.0%
are high school dropouts, about 80%
65.2 percent of all births occur 54.5%
outside marriage. Among women 70%
who have only a high school 65.2%
diploma, well over half of all births 60% Married
91.9% Mothers
occur outside marriage. By contrast,
50%
among women with at least a
college degree, only 8.1 percent of 40%
births are out of wedlock. 58.0%
30%
45.5%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock 20%
births and maternal education are not 34.8%
available in New Jersey. However, the 10%
pattern varies little between states. New
Jersey data will be very similar to the 0%
national data presented in this chart. High School High School Some College Mother’s
Dropout Graduate College Graduate education
Source: U.S. Department of Health and (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 New Jersey
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. 60%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 51.7%
ents with the same education level. 50%

For example, in New Jersey, the
poverty rate for a single mother 40%
who has only a high school 32.0%
diploma is 32 percent, but the 30%
poverty rate for a married couple
family headed by an individual 20.7%
20%
who, similarly, has only a high 14.9%
school degree is far lower at 5.3
percent. 10% 8.4%
5.3%
On average, marriage drops the 3.1% 1.4%
poverty rate by about 81 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 New Jersey
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
80%
In 2008, 35 percent of births in
New Jersey occurred outside 8.3%
marriage. The rate was lowest 70% 68.2%
among non-Hispanic whites at
about one in six births (17.7 per- 59.4%
60%
cent). Among Hispanics, about six
in ten births were out-of-wedlock.
50%
Among blacks, over two-thirds of
the births were to unmarried
women (68.2 percent). 40%
35.0%

30%

20% 17.7%

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 New Jersey, 1929–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
more frequent among blacks than 80%
among whites. However, prior to Black Non-
Hispanic
the onset of the federal 70%
68.2%
government’s War on Poverty in
1964, the rates for both whites and Hispanic
60%
blacks were comparatively low. 59.4%
In 1964, about one in forty (2.6
50%
percent) white children were born
outside marriage. By 2008, the
number had risen to one in six 40%
(17.7 percent).
In 1964, about one in ﬁve black 30%
children (21 percent) were born
outside marriage. By 2008, the
20% White Non-
number had risen to nearly seven
in ten (68.2 percent). Hispanic
10% 17.7%

0%
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in New Jersey
ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
In New Jersey in 2008, some
47.5 percent of all births occurred
to non-Hispanic whites, 26 per-
cent occurred to Hispanics, and
15.5 percent occurred to non- White Non- 24.0%
Hispanic blacks. Hispanic
Because blacks and Hispanics 47.5%
are more likely to have children
without being married, they
account for a disproportionately
larger share of all out-of-wedlock 44.1%
births.
In New Jersey in 2008, 44.1
percent of all non-marital births 26.0% Hispanic
were to Hispanic women, 30.1
percent were to black non-
Hispanic women, and 24 percent
were to non-Hispanic whites. 15.5% Black Non- 30.1%
Hispanic
11.0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Asian/Other 1.8%
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Six Times More Likely to Be Poor
in New Jersey
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
14%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
erty rate for married white families 11.6%
in New Jersey was 1.8 percent. 12%
But the poverty rate for non-
married white families was six 10%
times higher at 11.6 percent.
8%

6%

4%

1.8%
2%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Six Times More Likely to Be Poor
in New Jersey
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in New
Jersey was 4.5 percent, while the
30%
poverty rate for non-married black
families was about six times 26.4%
higher at 26.4 percent. 25%

20%

15%

10%

4.5%
5%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Four Times More Likely to Be Poor
in New Jersey
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in New
Jersey was 7.6 percent, while the
35%
poverty rate among non-married
31.4%
families was over four times
higher at 31.4 percent. 30%

25%

20%

15%

10%
7.6%

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 Reduces Child Poverty by 87% in NJ

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Marriage Reduces Child Poverty by 87% in NJ