What's your take on these statistics?

In Sunday’s Post and according to a report by scholars and advocates of the Institute for American Values (IAV), the institution of marriage in the U.S. has steadily declined over the past four decades. The U.S. Marriage Index, the brainchild of the President of IAV attempts to quantify the health of marriage in the same way economists use leading indicators to determine the state of the country’s economy.

The index combined five stats:

• Percentage of adults between 20-54 who are married
• Percentage of adults who reported being “very happy” with their marriages
• Percentage of first marriages intact
• Percentage of births to married parents
• Percentage of children living with their own married parents

These stats combined to make up a composite score illustrating the state of America’s nuptial unions. In 1970 that score totaled 76.2 and by 2008, it dropped to 60.3.

Some of the clear cut changes from 1970 to 2008 were as follows:

1. In 1970, 90% of children were born to married parents; in 2008 it was 60%.
2. Of adults between the ages of 20-54, 78.6% were married in 1970; only 57.2% in 2008.
3. In 2008, only 61.2% of first marriages were intact compared to 77.4% in 1970.

Mr. Blankenhorn’s contention in validating these stats and finding them so relevant is his concern that “every single pathology or problem a child can experience—every single one—growing up outside of a married-couple home elevates the risk of experiencing not only emotional or behavioral problems, but of living in poverty. Also increased is a child’s likelihood to engage in premature sexual activity, to use drugs or to commit suicide.”

Blankenhorn also says that increases in divorce and in out-of-wedlock childbirth are the two factors that contributed most to the decline of the health of marriage in the last half century. The U.S. Marriage Index also includes 101 suggestions to strengthen marriage including creating community-base marriage mentoring programs, and encouraging government funding of marriage education.

What do you think of these statistics? Do they concern you?