Marriages Are Less Stable for Economically Disadvantaged Adults

Economically disadvantaged adults are just as likely to marry as their more advantaged counterparts, but their marriages are substantially more unstable. Through their 20s, economically disadvantaged adults are actually more likely to marry than advantaged adults. By age 30, the proportion who have ever married is very similar. In contrast, the difficulty of staying married increases substantially with levels of economic disadvantage. For example, the probability of divorcing or separating in each year after first marriage is consistently higher for women from less affluent neighborhoods. This pattern holds true when economic disadvantage is defined as low family income or education level.

Emerging federal initiatives seeking to support marriage have increased the need for improved information on low-income married couples. The fragility of marriages among disadvantaged couples provides one important rationale for rigorously testing new programs aimed at strengthening marriages in low-income families. High marital instability rates (and attendant risks for children) affirm that low-income couples indeed do face special challenges in their marriages.

Fast Fact from “Married and Poor: Basic Characteristics of Economically Disadvantaged Married Couples in the U.S.” Prepared by David J. Fein, Ph.D. of Abt Associates for the Supporting Healthy Marriage Project.

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