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

1. Marriage:
South Carolina’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 South Carolina, 1929–2010
Throughout most of South PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
Carolina’s history, out-of-wedlock
childbearing was rare. 50%
47.5%
When the federal government’s
War on Poverty began in 1964,
only 12.8 percent of children in 40%
South Carolina were born out of
wedlock. However, over the next
four decades, the number rose
rapidly. By 2010, 47.5 percent of 30%
births in South Carolina occurred
outside of marriage.
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 South Carolina heritage.org

3. Death of Marriage in South Carolina, 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 side 100%
of the out-of-wedlock birth rate.
Through most of the 20th cen-
tury, marital births were the norm
in South Carolina. In 1964, over
87 percent of births occurred to
married couples. 80%
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 52.5 per-
cent of births in South Carolina
occurred to married couples.
60%
52.5%
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.
40%
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 South Carolina heritage.org

4. In South Carolina, 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 50%
high levels of child poverty in
South Carolina.
40.9%
Some 40.9 percent of single
40%
mothers with children are poor
compared to 7.2 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with 30%
children are nearly six times more
likely to be poor than families in
which the parents are married. 20%
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both
to the lower education levels of
10% 7.2%
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
Chart 3 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

5. Nearly Four in Ten of All Families with Children in South Carolina
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about six in ten families with
children in South Carolina. Over
39 percent are single-parent
families.
Unmarried
Families
39.1%
Married
Families
60.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 4 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

6. In South Carolina, 77 Percent of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in South Carolina, more
than three-quarters are not
married. By contrast, only 23.3
percent of poor families with Married
children are headed by married Families
couples. 23.3%
Unmarried
Families
76.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 5 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

7. In South Carolina Few Unwed Births Occur to Teenagers
Out-of-wedlock births are PERCENTAGE OF OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
often confused erroneously with BY AGE OF MOTHER
teen births, but only 8.3 percent
of out-of-wedlock births in Under
South Carolina occur to girls Age 18:
under age 18. 8.3%
By contrast, some 78 percent Age
of out-of-wedlock births occur 30–54:
to young adult women between 13.3%
the ages of 18 and 29. Age
18–19:
16.7%
Age
25–29:
21.9%
Age
20–24:
39.8%
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 South Carolina 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%
9.7% Unmarried
difficulty supporting children by Mothers
themselves: those with low levels 90%
of education. 43.6%
80%
In South Carolina, among
62.1%
women who are high school drop- 70%
outs, about 73.8 percent of all 73.8%
births occur outside marriage. 60%
Among women who have only a 50%
high school diploma, over 62 Married
90.3%
percent of all births occur outside 40% Mothers
marriage. By contrast, among 56.4%
women with at least a college 30%
37.9%
degree, only 9.7 percent of births 20%
are out of wedlock. 26.2%
10%
0%
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
Human Services, Centers for Disease Years) Years) Years) Years)
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS data.
Chart 7 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

9. Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing
Child Poverty in South Carolina
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. 80%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 70% 67.1%
ents with the same education level.
60%
For example, in South Carolina,
the poverty rate for a single 50%
mother who has only a high 42.7%
school diploma is 42.7 percent, 40%
but the poverty rate for a married 31.6%
couple family headed by an indi- 30%
vidual who, similarly, has only a 23.5%
high school degree is far lower at 20%
9.4 percent. 12.4%
10% 9.4%
On average, marriage drops the 4.7%
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.
Chart 8 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

10. Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in South Carolina
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
80% 78.0%
In 2008, 47.8 percent of births
in South Carolina occurred out- 8.3%
side marriage. The rate was lowest 70%
among non-Hispanic whites at
about three in ten births (30.1 60%
percent). Among Hispanics, about
half of births were out of wedlock. 49.8%
50% 47.8%
Among blacks, almost eight in ten
births were to unmarried women
(78 percent). 40%
30.1%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races White Hispanic Black
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic
Chart 9 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

11. Growth of Unwed Childbearing by Race in South Carolina, 1934–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
80% Black Non-
more frequent among blacks than Hispanic
among whites. However, prior to 78.0%
the onset of the federal 70%
government’s War on Poverty in
1964, the rates for both whites and
blacks were comparatively low. 60%
In 1964, around one in forty Hispanic
(2.4 percent) white children were 50% 49.8%
born outside marriage. By 2008,
the number had risen to over three 40%
in ten (30.1 percent).
In 1964, about one in four black White Non-
30%
children (27.4 percent) were born Hispanic
30.1%
outside marriage. By 2008, the
20%
number had risen to over three in
four (78 percent).
10%
0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
Bureau, and National Center for Health
Statistics.
Chart 10 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

12. Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in South Carolina
In South Carolina in 2008, some ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
55 percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 32.7 percent
occurred to non-Hispanic blacks,
and 9.9 percent occurred to His-
panics. 55% White Non- 34.6%
Because blacks and Hispanics Hispanic
are more likely to have children
without being married, they
account for disproportionately 10.3%
larger shares of all out-of-wedlock
births.
In South Carolina in 2008, 34.6
percent of all non-marital births 9.9% Hispanic
were to non-Hispanic whites, 53.4
percent were to black non- 53.4%
Hispanic women, and 10.3 percent
were to Hispanics. Black Non-
32.7%
Hispanic
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Asian/Other
Human Services, Centers for Disease 2.4% 1.7%
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.
Chart 11 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

13. Non-Married White Families Are Six Times More Likely to Be Poor
in South Carolina
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics. 24%
25%
For example, in 2009, the
poverty rate for married white
families in South Carolina was 3.8
percent. But the poverty rate for 20%
non-married white families was
more than six times higher at 24
percent. 15%
10%
5% 3.8%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 12 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

14. Non-Married Black Families Are Four Times More Likely to Be Poor
in South Carolina
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in South
Carolina was 9 percent, while the 38.6%
40%
poverty rate for non-married black
families was four times higher at
38.6 percent. 35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10% 9%
5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 13 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

15. Non-Married Hispanic Families Are About Three Times More Likely
to Be Poor in South Carolina
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in South
Carolina was 18.4 percent, while 49.9%
50%
the poverty rate among non-
married families was almost three
times higher at 49.9 percent.
40%
30%
20% 18.4%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 14 • Marriage and Poverty in South Carolina heritage.org

16. 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.

17. 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.
The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to
formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited gov-
ernment, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.
Our vision is to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish. As
conservatives, we believe the values and ideas that motivated our Founding Fathers are worth conserving.
As policy entrepreneurs, we believe the most effective solutions are consistent with those ideas and values.
214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE • Washington, D.C. 20002 • (202) 546-4400 • heritage.org