The Tragedy of Out-of-Wedlock Births

According to a study carried out by Columbia and Princeton researchers, children of unmarried parents “do not fare as well as children born to married parents.” Family instability leads to lower cognitive performance and increased aggression, particularly in boys.

In 1940, less than 4 percent of American children were born out-of-wedlock. By 2021, that number had increased by tenfold to 40 percent. The illegitimacy rate is highest among the black population, with 70.1 percent born to unwed mothers in 2021. For Hispanics, it was 53.2 percent; for whites, 27.5 percent; and for Asians, 12.6 percent.