Getting married and having children seems to be something more for the rich these days.
New research on British couples from the Marriage Foundation found that the percentage of new mothers who are married is higher among wealthier people than poorer people.
The Marriage Foundation reported that this may be because marriage is an expensive venture that only the rich can afford. Also, the rich understand better than the poor that staying with a partner leads to more financial stability over the long haul, according to The Marriage Foundation.
“So why are the rich still marrying in their droves whereas for the poor marriage has become the exception?” The Marriage Foundation asked. “Maybe it’s because the rich know something about marriage, that getting married signifies commitment, that the formal commitment of marriage makes it far more likely that couples will stay together for the long run, and that staying together means staying well-off and avoiding the big loss of assets and income associated with splitting up. In other words, the rich know that splitting up makes people poor and that marriage is the best protection against that happening."
The Marriage Foundation indicated that it hopes to identify more ways to inspire poor Americans to get married.
For more on how marriage’s decline affects the poor:
Op-ed: Decline of marriage is a primary reason for inequality
The case for renewing the War on Poverty
Herb Scribner is a writer for Deseret News National. Send him an email at hscribner@deseretdigital.com or follow him on Twitter @herbscribner.