Marriage Poverty - Minnesota

Marriage:
Minnesota’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 Minnesota, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Minnesota PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbear-
ing was rare. 35%
33.2%
When the federal government’s
War on Poverty began in 1964, 30%
only 4.6 percent of children in
Minnesota were born out of wed-
lock. However, over the next four 25%
decades, the number rose rapidly.
By 2010, more than one-third of
all births in Minnesota occurred 20%
outside of marriage.
15%

Note: Initiated by President Lyndon 10%
Johnson in 1963, 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 Minnesota heritage.org

Death of Marriage in Minnesota, 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
century, marital births were the
norm in Minnesota. In 1964, more 90%
than 95 percent of births occurred
to married couples.
However, in the mid-1960s,
the marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 66.8 80%
percent of births in Minnesota
occurred to married couples.

70%

Note: In any given year, the sum of the 66.8%
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.


In Minnesota, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 89 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 40%
cause of high levels of child pov-
erty in Minnesota.
33.2%
Some 33.2 percent of single
mothers with children were poor
30%
compared to 3.8 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with
children are nearly nine times
20%
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar-
ried.
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both 10%
to the lower education levels of
3.8%
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 Minnesota, Nearly One-Quarter of All Families with Children
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
three-quarters of families with
children in Minnesota. Nearly
one-quarter are single-parent
families.

Unmarried
Families
22.7%
Married
Families
77.3%

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


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

Unmarried
Families
74.1%



In Minnesota, 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 percent of out-
of-wedlock births in Minnesota Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
5.7%
By contrast, some 77 percent of
out-of-wedlock births occur to
Age
young adult women between the 30–54: Age
ages of 18 and 29. 17.3% 18–19:
13.3%

Age
25–29:
25.2% Age
20–24:
38.5%
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 in Minnesota 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%
8.1% Unmarried
porting children by themselves: those
90%
Mothers
with low levels of education.
Nationwide, among women who 37.7%
80%
are high school dropouts, about 54.5%
two-thirds of all births occur outside 70%
65.2%
marriage. Among women who have
60% Married
only a high school diploma, more 91.9%
than half of all births occur outside 50% Mothers
marriage. By contrast, among women
with at least a college degree, only 8 40%
62.3%
percent of births are out of wedlock. 30%
45.5%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock 20%
births and maternal education are not 34.8%
available in Minnesota. However, the 10%
pattern varies little between states. Minne-
sota 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 Minnesota
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
couple is compared to single par- 60%
ents with the same education level. 56.8%
For example, in Minnesota, the 50%
poverty rate for a single mother
who has only a high school 40%
diploma is 30.3 percent, but the
poverty rate for a married couple 30.3%
30%
family headed by an individual 25.0%
22.2%
who, similarly, has only a high 20%
school degree is far lower at 5.3
percent. 10% 8.6%
5.3% 3.2%
On average, marriage drops the 1.2%
poverty rate by around 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.


Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Minnesota
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
80%
In 2008, one in three births
(33.3 percent) in Minnesota 8.3%
occurred outside marriage. The 70%
rate was lowest among non- 60.9%
Hispanic whites at over one in 60% 57.9%
four births (26 percent). Among
Hispanics, well over half of births
50%
were out-of-wedlock. Among
blacks six out of 10 births were to
unmarried women (60.9 percent). 40%
33.3%
30% 26.0%

20%

10%

0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and All Races White Hispanic Black
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic


Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing by Race in Minnesota,
1934–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
80%
more frequent among blacks than
among whites. However, prior to
the onset of the federal 70% Black Non-
government’s War on Poverty in Hispanic
1964, the rates for both whites and 60.9%
60%
blacks were comparatively low. Hispanic
In 1964, one in twenty-ﬁve (4.1 57.9%
50%
percent) white children were born
outside marriage. By 2008, the
number had risen to more than 40%
one in four (26 percent).
In 1964, more than two in ten 30% White Non-
black children (27 percent) were Hispanic
26.0%
born outside marriage. By 2008, 20%
the number had risen to over six
in ten (60.9 percent).
10%

Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census 0%
Bureau, and National Center for Health
Statistics. 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in Minnesota
In Minnesota in 2008, some 72.8 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births (both marital and
non-marital) occurred to non-
Hispanic whites, 7.9 percent
occurred to Hispanics, and 9.2
percent to non-Hispanic blacks.
Because black and Hispanic people
are more likely to have children 72.8% White Non- 56.8%
without being married, a dispropor- Hispanic
tionate share of all out-of-wedlock
births occur to those groups. None-
theless, the largest number of out-of-
wedlock births still occur to white
non-Hispanic women.
In Minnesota in 2008, 56.8 percent 16.8%
of all non-marital births were to Black Non-
non-Hispanic whites, 13.8 percent Hispanic
9.2%
were to Hispanics, and 16.6 percent 12.7%
were to black non-Hispanic women. Asian/Other
10.1%
13.8%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and 7.9% Hispanic
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Ten Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Minnesota
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and
Hispanics in Minnesota.
25%
For example, in 2009, the
poverty rate for married white
families in Minnesota was 2.1 20.1%
percent. But the poverty rate for 20%
non-married white families was
nearly ten times higher at 20.1
percent. 15%

10%

5%
2.1%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Nearly Four Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Minnesota
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in
Minnesota was 12.2 percent, while
50%
the poverty rate for non-married
black families was nearly four 45%
45%
times higher at 45 percent.
40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15% 12.2%
10%

5%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Nearly Three Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Minnesota
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Minnesota was 14.4 percent, while
50%
the poverty rate among
non-married families was nearly
three times higher at 42.1 percent. 42.1%
40%

30%

20%
14.4%

10%

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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