Marriage Poverty - Missouri

Marriage:
Missouri’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 Missouri, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Missouri’s PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbear-
ing was rare. 60%

When the federal governments
War on Poverty began in 1964,
50%
only 7.3 percent of children in
Missouri were born out of wed-
lock. However, over the next four 40.2%
decades, the number rose rapidly. 40%
By 2010, 40.2 percent of births in
Missouri occurred outside of
marriage. 30%

20%
Note: Initiated by President Lyndon
Johnson in 1964, the War on Poverty
led to the creation of more than three
dozen welfare programs to aid poor 10%
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 Missouri heritage.org

Death of Marriage in Missouri, 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. 90%
Through most of the 20th cen-
tury, marital births were the norm 80%
in Missouri. In 1964, nearly 93
percent of births occurred to mar-
70%
ried couples.
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall 60% 59.8%
steadily. By 2010, only 59.8 per-
cent of births in Missouri occurred 50%
to married couples.
40%

Note: In any given year, the sum of the
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1) 30%
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2)
equals 100 percent of all births.
20%
Statistics.


In Missouri, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 85 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 45%
cause of high levels of child pov-
erty in Missouri. 40.0%
40%
Some 40 percent of single moth-
ers with children were poor com- 35%
pared to 6.1 percent of married
couples with children. 30%
Single-parent families with
25%
children are nearly seven times
more likely to be poor than fami-
20%
lies in which the parents are mar-
ried.
15%
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both 10%
to the lower education levels of 6.1%
the mothers and the lower income 5%
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 Missouri, One-Third of All Families with Children Are Not Married

Overall, married couples head
two-thirds of all families with
children in Missouri. About
one-third are single-parent
families.

Unmarried
Families
34.3% Married
Families
65.7%

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


In Missouri, 75 Percent of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married

Among poor families with
children in Missouri, three-
quarters are not married. By
contrast, one-quarter of poor
families with children are headed
by married couples. Married
Families
24.6%

Unmarried
Families
75.4%



In Missouri, 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 7.9 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Missouri Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 79 percent of 7.9%
out-of-wedlock births occur to Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 13.3%
Age
18–19:
16.4%
Age
25–29:
22.2%
Age
20–24:
40.2%

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 sup- 100%
porting children by themselves: those 8.1% Unmarried
with low levels of education. 90%
Mothers
In the U.S., among women who 42.0%
80%
are high school dropouts, about 65.2
percent of all births occur outside
54.5%
70%
marriage. Among women who have 65.2%
only a high school diploma, well over 60%
91.9% Married
half of all births occur outside mar- Mothers
riage. By contrast, among women 50%
with at least a college degree, only
40%
8.1 percent of births are out-of- 58.0%
wedlock. 30%
45.5%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock 20%
births and maternal education are not 34.8%
available in Missouri. However, the pattern 10%
varies little between states. Missouri data
will be very similar to the national data 0%
presented in this chart. High School High School Some College Mother’s
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)


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective
in Reducing Child Poverty in Missouri
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 63.1%
couple is compared to single par-
60%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in Missouri, the 50%
poverty rate for a single mother 43.5%
who has only a high school 40%
diploma is 43.5 percent, but the 31.6%
poverty rate for a married couple 30%
family headed by an individual 23.8%
who, similarly, has only a high 20%
school degree is far lower at 9.1
percent. 9.1% 10.6%
10%
4.7%
On average, marriage drops the 1.7%
poverty rate by about 78 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 Missouri
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
100%
In 2008, 40.9 percent of births
in Missouri occurred outside 8.3%
90%
marriage. The rate was lowest
among non-Hispanic whites at one 80%
79.1%
in three births (33.1 percent).
Among Hispanics, over half of 70%
births were out of wedlock.
Among blacks, nearly eight in ten 60%
births were to unmarried women 51.5%
(79.1 percent). 50%
40.9%
40%
33.1%
30%

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 Missouri, 1929–2008
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
90%
the onset of the federal
government’s War on Poverty in Black Non-
80% Hispanic
1964, the rates for both whites and
79.1%
blacks were comparatively low.
70%
In 1964, less than one in thirty
(3.1 percent) white children were 60%
born outside marriage. By 2008, Hispanic
the number had risen to one in 50% 51.5%
three (33.1 percent).
40% White Non-
In 1964, about three in ten black
children (31.7 percent) were born Hispanic
30% 33.1%
outside marriage. By 2008, the
number had risen to nearly eight
20%
in ten (79.1 percent).
10%

0%
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Missouri
In Missouri in 2008, some 75.8 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 15.4 percent
occurred to non-Hispanic blacks,
and 5.6 percent occurred to His-
panics.
Because blacks and Hispanics
are more likely to have children
without being married, they
account for a disproportionately White Non-
larger share of all out-of-wedlock 75.8% 61.4%
births. Even so, the largest number Hispanic
of unwed births are to white non-
Hispanic women.
In Missouri in 2008, 61.4 per-
cent of all non-marital births were
to non-Hispanic whites, 29.9
percent were to black non-
Hispanic women, and 7.1 percent 29.9%
Black Non-
were to Hispanics. 15.4% Hispanic

5.6% Hispanic 7.1%
3.2% Asian/Other 1.6%
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Seven Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Missouri
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
30%
For example, in 2009, the pov- 27.9%
erty rate for married white families
in Missouri was 3.9 percent. But 25%
the poverty rate for non-married
white families was seven times
higher at 27.9 percent. 20%

15%

10%

5% 3.9%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Six Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Missouri
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Missouri
was 5.9 percent, while the poverty
40%
rate for non-married black families 36.4%
was six times higher at 36.4 per-
cent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%
5.9%
5%

0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Three Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Missouri
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in Mis-
souri was 12.9 percent, while the
45%
poverty rate among non-married 42.1%
families was over three times
40%
higher at 42.1 percent.
35%

30%

25%

20%

15% 12.9%

10%

5%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


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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