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

1. Marriage:
Arkansas’ 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 Arkansas, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Arkansas’ PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbear-
ing was rare. 50%
In 1968, just four years after the 45.3%
federal government began the War
on Poverty, only 11.6 percent of 40.8%
40%
children in Arkansas were born
outside marriage. However, over
the next five decades, the number
rose rapidly. By 2010, 45.3 percent 30%
of births in Arkansas occurred
outside of marriage. National
Arkansas
20%
Note: Data on non-marital births in
Arkansas are unavailable between 1947
and 1967. However, all states that do
have data for this period show a rapid
growth in non-marital childbearing 10%
from the mid-1960s on. The Arkansas
trend during this period undoubtedly
parallels the national trend shown in the
chart.
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 Arkansas heritage.org

3. In Arkansas, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 78 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 60%
cause of high levels of child pov-
erty in Arkansas.
Some 48.3 percent of single 50% 48.3%
mothers with children were poor
compared to 10.5 percent of mar-
ried couples with children. 40%
Single-parent families with
children are nearly five times
30%
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar-
ried.
20%
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both 10.5%
to the lower education levels of 10%
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 2 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

4. In Arkansas, Over One-Third of All Families with Children
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about two-thirds of families with
children in Arkansas. Well over
one-third are single-parent
families.
Unmarried
Families
36.4%
Married
Families
63.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 3 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

5. In Arkansas, 70 Percent of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in Arkansas, about seven
in ten are not married. By contrast,
only 29.8 percent of poor families
with children are headed by
married couples.
Married
Families
29.8%
Unmarried
Families
70.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 4 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

6. In Arkansas, 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 9.4 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Arkansas Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 79 percent of 9.4%
out-of-wedlock births occur to Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 12.1%
Age
18–19:
Age 17.6%
25–29:
20.6%
Age
20–24:
40.3%
Note: Figures have been rounded.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data.
Chart 5 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

7. 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%
half of all births occur outside mar- 91.9%
riage. By contrast, among women 50%
Married
with at least a college degree, only Mothers
40%
8.1 percent of births are out of wed- 58.0%
lock. 30%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock
45.5%
births and maternal education are not 20%
available in Arkansas. However, the 34.8%
pattern varies little between states. 10%
Arkansas 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.
Chart 6 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

8. Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing
Child Poverty in Arkansas
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 64.0%
couple is compared to single par- 60%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in Arkansas, the 50%
poverty rate for a single mother
who has only a high school 40.3% 40.0%
40%
diploma is 40.3 percent, but the
poverty rate for a married couple 30% 26.8%
family headed by an individual
who, similarly, has only a high 20% 16.1%
school degree is far lower at 9.5
percent. 10% 9.5%
7.2%
On average, marriage drops the 1.9%
poverty rate by around 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 7 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

9. Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Arkansas
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
90%
In Arkansas, in 2008 (the most
recent year for which racial break- 8.3% 80.3%
80%
down is available), more than four
in ten births (44.6 percent)
occurred outside marriage. The 70%
rate was lowest among non-
Hispanic whites: around one in 60%
three births among white non- 50.1%
Hispanic women were non- 50%
44.6%
marital. Among Hispanics, half of
births were out-of-wedlock. 40%
Among blacks, eight in ten births 33.8%
were to unmarried women (80.3 30%
percent).
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 8 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

10. Growth of Unwed Childbearing by Race in Arkansas, 1929–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock child- PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
bearing has been somewhat more
frequent among blacks than among 100%
whites. However, prior to the onset
of the federal government’s War on
Poverty in the 1960s, the rates for
both whites and blacks were com- 80.3%
paratively low. 80%
National –
In 1968, 3.8 percent of white Blacks
children in Arkansas were born Arkansas –
outside marriage. By 2008, the
number had risen to more than one Blacks
60%
in three (33.8 percent). Arkansas –
In 1968, about one-third (33.4 Whites
percent) of black children in Arkan- National –
sas were born outside marriage. By Whites
2008, the number had risen to eight 40%
in every ten (80.3 percent). 33.8%
Note: Data on non-marital births in Arkansas
are unavailable between 1947 and 1967.
However, all states that do have data for this 20%
period show a rapid growth in non-marital
child-bearing from the mid-1960s on.The
Arkansas trend during this period undoubtedly
parallels the national trend shown in the chart.
0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
Statistics.
Chart 9 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

11. Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Arkansas
In Arkansas in 2008, some 67 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 19.7 percent
occurred to non-Hispanic blacks,
and 10.7 percent occurred to
Hispanics.
Because blacks and Hispanics
are more likely to have children 67.0% White Non- 50.7%
without being married, they Hispanic
account for disproportionately
larger shares of out-of-wedlock
births. Even so, the majority of
unwed births occurred to white
non-Hispanic women.
In Arkansas in 2008, 50.7 per-
cent of all non-marital births were 35.5%
to non-Hispanic whites, 35.5 19.7% Black Non-
percent were to black non- Hispanic
Hispanic women, and 12 percent
were to Hispanic women. 10.7% Hispanic 12.0%
2.6% Asian/Other 2.0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.
Chart 10 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

12. Non-Married White Families Are Six Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Arkansas
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics in Arkansas.
40%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
erty rate for married white families
in Arkansas was 5.4 percent. But 32.1%
the poverty rate for non-married
30%
white families was nearly six times
higher at 32.1 percent.
20%
10%
5.4%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 11 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

13. Non-Married Black Families Are Four Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Arkansas
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Arkansas
was 12.2 percent, while the pov-
60%
erty rate for non-married black
families was four times higher at
48.6 percent. 50% 48.6%
40%
30%
20%
12.2%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 12 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

14. Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Twice Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Arkansas
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Arkansas was 25.3 percent, while
60%
the poverty rate among non-
married families was two times 52.8%
higher at 52.8 percent. 50%
40%
30%
25.3%
20%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 13 • Marriage and Poverty in Arkansas heritage.org

15. 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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