The Marriage Divide: How and Why Working-Class Families Are More Fragile Today

This research brief from the American Enterprise Institute provides data on the class divide in marriage. Only 26% of poor Americans and 39% of working-class Americans ages 18-55 are currently married, compared to 56% of upper- and middle-class Americans. This marriage divide would be even larger if immigrants were not included, since they marry at higher rates and make up a large proportion of poor and working-class families. The authors describe the key features of the marriage divide, and explain the economic, cultural, and policy forces behind it.