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

1. Marriage:
Washington’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 Washington, 1929–2010
Throughout most of PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
Washington’s history, out-of-
wedlock childbearing was rare. 35%
33.0%
When the federal government’s
War on Poverty began in 1964, 30%
only 5.1 percent of children in
Washington were born out of
wedlock. However, over the next 25%
four decades, the number rose
rapidly. By 2010, 33 percent of
births in Washington occurred 20%
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 Washington heritage.org

3. Death of Marriage in Washington, 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 Washington. In 1964, nearly 95 90%
percent of births occurred to
married couples.
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 67 percent 80%
of births in Washington occurred
to married couples.
70%
Note: In any given year, the sum of the 67.0%
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1)
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2)
equals 100 percent of all births.
60%
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 Washington heritage.org

4. In Washington, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 84 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
Washington.
Some 33.6 percent of single
40%
mothers with children are poor
compared to 5.4 percent of mar- 33.6%
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with 30%
children are more than six times
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar- 20%
ried.
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both
10%
to the lower education levels of 5.4%
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 Washington heritage.org

5. Nearly Three in Ten of All Families with Children in Washington
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about seven in ten families with
children in Washington. Over
three in ten are single-parent
families.
Unmarried
Families
30.7%
Married
Families
69.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 4 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

6. In Washington 70 Percent of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in Washington, seven in
ten are not married. By contrast,
30.3 percent of poor families with
children are headed by married
couples. Married
Families
30.3%
Unmarried
Families
69.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 5 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

7. In Washington, 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 6.8 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Washing- Under
ton occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 74 percent of 6.8%
out-of-wedlock births occur to
young adult women between the Age
ages of 18 and 29. 30–54: Age
18.8% 18–19:
13.5%
Age
25–29:
24% Age
20–24:
36.9%
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 Washington 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 6.1%
Mothers
themselves: those with low levels 90%
29.9%
of education.
80%
47.7%
In Washington, among women 62.9%
who are high school dropouts, 70%
93.9% Married
about 62.9 percent of all births Mothers
60%
occur outside marriage. Among
women who have only a high 50% 70.1%
school diploma, nearly half of all
births occur outside marriage. By 40%
contrast, among women with at 52.3%
30%
least a college degree, only 6.1
percent of births are out of wed- 20% 37.1%
lock.
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 Washington heritage.org

9. Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing Child
Poverty in Washington
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
53.6%
couple is compared to single par-
ents with the same education level. 50%
For example, in Washington,
the poverty rate for a single 40%
mother who has only a high 33.9%
school diploma is 33.9 percent, 30%
but the poverty rate for a married 26.1%
couple family headed by an indi- 20.6%
20%
vidual who, similarly, has only a
high school degree is far lower at 10.3%
7 percent. 10% 7.0%
4.9%
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.
Chart 8 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

10. Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Washington
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
60%
In 2008, 34 percent of births in
Washington occurred outside 8.3% 54.2%
marriage. The rate was lowest 50.9%
among Asians at one in five births 50%
(19.5 percent). Among white
non-Hispanic women, nearly three
in ten births were to unmarried 40%
mothers (28.6 percent). 34%
Among Hispanics, over half of 28.6%
30%
births were out of wedlock.
Among blacks, 54 percent of
children were born to unmarried 19.5%
20%
women.
10%
0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races Asian/Pacific White Hispanic Black
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Islander Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic
Chart 9 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

11. Growth of Unwed Childbearing by Race in Washington, 1935–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
more frequent among blacks than Black Non-
60%
among whites. However, prior to Hispanic
the onset of the federal 54.2%
government’s War on Poverty in Hispanic
50% 50.9%
1964, the rates for both whites and
blacks were comparatively low.
In 1964, not even one in 20 (4.6
40%
percent) white children were born
outside marriage. By 2008, the
number had risen to about three White Non-
in ten (28.6 percent). 30%
Hispanic
In 1964, about one in eight 28.6%
black children (13.5 percent) were
20%
born outside marriage. By 2008,
the number had risen to nearly
well over half (54.2 percent).
10%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census 0%
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
Statistics.
Chart 10 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

12. Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in Washington
In Washington in 2008, some 63.2 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 19.2 percent
occurred to Hispanics, 9.5 percent
occurred to Asians, and 4.4 percent
occurred to black non-Hispanic
women.
63.2% White Non- 53.2%
Because blacks and Hispanics are Hispanic
more likely to have children without
being married, they account for a
disproportionately larger share of all
out-of-wedlock births. Even so, the
majority of unwed births are to white
non-Hispanic women.
In Washington in 2008, 53.2
percent of all non-marital births were Hispanic 28.8%
to non-Hispanic whites, 28.8 percent 19.2%
were to Hispanics, 7 percent were to Asian/Pacific
black non-Hispanics, and 5.5 percent
Islander
were to Asian women. 5.5%
9.5% Black
Non-Hispanic 7%
4.4%
Indian/Other
Source: U.S. Department of Health and 3.7% 5.5%
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS data. Note: Figures have been rounded.
Chart 11 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

13. Non-Married White Families Are Eight Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Washington
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-
21.6%
erty rate for married white families
in Washington was 2.8 percent.
But the poverty rate for non- 20%
married white families was about
eight times higher at 21.6 percent.
15%
10%
5%
2.8%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 12 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

14. Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Four Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Washington
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Washington was 13.4 percent, 47.8%
50%
while the poverty rate among
non-married Hispanic families was
nearly four times higher at 47.8
percent. 40%
30%
20%
13.4%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 14 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

15. Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Four Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Washington
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Washington was 13.4 percent, 47.8%
50%
while the poverty rate among
non-married Hispanic families was
nearly four times higher at 47.8
percent. 40%
30%
20%
13.4%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 14 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

16. Non-Married Asian Families Are Four Times More Likely to Be Poor in
Washington
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married Asian families in Wash-
ington was 5.5 percent, while the
25%
poverty rate among non-married
Asian families was nearly four
times higher at 20.6 percent. 20.6%
20%
15%
10%
5.5%
5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 15 • Marriage and Poverty in Washington heritage.org

17. 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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