The Out-Of-Wedlock Birthrate: "Julia decides to have a child"

The Out-Of-Wedlock Birthrate: "Julia decides to have a child"

Daniel P. Moynihan famously highlighted the decline of the American family — particular of black Americans’ families.  As of 1963, the out-of-wedlock birthrate had risen to  24 percent among black Americans (from 17 percent in 1940), compared to 3 percent among white Americans (from 2 percent in 1940).  Moynihan noted that this “breakdown” in the family structure “led to a startling increase in welfare dependency.”

Present day: the NYTimes reports that the out-of-wedlock birthrate now is 73 percent (for black Americans) and 29 percent (for white Americans).  Overall, 41 percent of American children are now born out of wedlock — including 53 percent of American children born to women under the age of 30.