Marriage Poverty - Louisiana

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

When the federal government’s 53.3%
War on Poverty began in 1964,
50%
only 11.1 percent of children in
Louisiana were born out of wed-
lock. However, over the next four
decades, the number rose rapidly. 40%
By 2010, 53.3 percent of births in
Louisiana 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 Louisiana heritage.org

Death of Marriage in Louisiana, 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
in Louisiana. In 1964, 89 percent 80%
of births occurred to married
couples.
70%
However, in the mid-1960s,
the marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 46.7 per- 60%
cent of births in Louisiana
occurred to married couples.
50%
46.7%
Note: In any given year, the sum of the
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1) 40%
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2)
equals 100 percent of all births.
30%
Statistics.


In Louisiana, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 86 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 50%
cause of high levels of child pov- 47.2%
erty in Louisiana.
Some 47.2 percent of single
40%
mothers with children were poor
compared to 6.4 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with 30%
children are more than seven
times more likely to be poor than
families in which the parents are 20%
married.
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both
10%
to the lower education levels of 6.4%
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


In Louisiana, 40 Percent of All Families with Children Are Not Married

Overall, married couples head
about 60 percent of families with
children in Louisiana. Over 40
percent are single-parent families.

Unmarried
Families
40.5%
Married
Families
59.5%

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


In Louisiana, 82 Percent of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married

Among poor families with
children in Louisiana, over eight
in ten are not married. By contrast,
only 18 percent of poor families
with children are headed by Married
married couples. Families
18.2%

Unmarried
Families
81.8%



In Louisiana, 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 7.6 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Louisiana Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 80 percent of 7.6%
out-of-wedlock births occur to Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 12.4%
Age
18–19:
16.0%
Age
25–29:
22.3%

Age
20–24:
41.7%

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% Married
half of all births occur outside mar- 91.9%
50%
Mothers
riage. By contrast, among women
with at least a college degree, only
40%
8.1 percent of births are out of wed- 58.0%
lock. 30%
45.5%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock
births and maternal education are not 20%
34.8%
available in Louisiana. However, the
pattern varies little between states. 10%
Louisiana data will be very similar to the
national data presented in this chart. 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.


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective
in Reducing Child Poverty in Louisiana
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% 67.8%
ents with the same education level.
60%
For example, in Louisiana, the
poverty rate for a single mother 50.3%
50%
who has only a high school
diploma is 50.3 percent, but the 40% 36.7%
poverty rate for a married couple
family headed by an individual 30%
who, similarly, has only a high 20.9%
school degree is far lower at 7.5 20%
percent. 9.3%
10% 7.5% 5.1%
On average, marriage drops the 1.3%
poverty rate by about 82 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 Louisiana
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
100%
In 2008, 53 percent of births in
Louisiana occurred outside mar- 8.3%
90%
riage. The rate was lowest among
non-Hispanic whites at over one 79.4%
80%
in three births (34.2 percent).
Among Hispanics, 57.1 percent of 70%
births were out of wedlock.
Among blacks, about eight in ten 60% 57.1%
births were to unmarried women 53.0%
(79.4 percent). 50%

40%
34.2%
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 Louisiana, 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
Black Non-
government’s War on Poverty in
80% Hispanic
1964, the rates for both whites and 79.4%
blacks were comparatively low.
70%
In 1964, around one white child
in ﬁfty (2.1 percent) were born 60% Hispanic
outside marriage. By 2008, the 57.1%
number had risen to over one in 50%
three (34.2 percent).
40% White Non-
In 1964, about one in four black Hispanic
children (24.5 percent) were born 34.2%
30%
outside marriage By 2008, the
number had risen to over eight in 20%
ten (79.4 percent).
10%

0%
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Louisiana
In Louisiana in 2008, some ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
53.2 percent of all births occurred
to non-Hispanic whites, 39.2
percent occurred to non-Hispanic
blacks, and 5.2 percent occurred
to Hispanics.
Because blacks and Hispanics 53.2% White Non- 34.4%
are more likely to have children Hispanic
without being married, they
account for a disproportionately
larger share of all out-of-wedlock
births.
In Louisiana in 2008, 34.4
percent of all non-marital births
were to non-Hispanic whites, 58.7 Black Non-
percent were to black non- Hispanic
Hispanic women, and 5.6 percent 39.2% 58.7%
were to Hispanics.

5.2% Hispanic 5.6%
2.4% Asian/Other 1.3%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Nearly Seven Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Louisiana
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-
26.3%
erty rate for married white families
in Louisiana was 3.9 percent. But 25%
the poverty rate for non-married
white families was almost seven
times higher at 26.3 percent. 20%

15%

10%

5% 3.9%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Nearly Five Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Louisiana
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Louisi-
ana was 9.7 percent, while the
50%
poverty rate for non-married black 45.7%
families was nearly ﬁve times 45%
higher at 45.7 percent.
40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%
9.7%
10%

5%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Four Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Louisiana
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Louisiana was 8.7 percent, while
40%
the poverty rate among non-
married families was four times
35% 34.0%
higher at 34 percent.

30%

25%

20%

15%

10% 8.7%

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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