A new UK study on family breakdowns is highlighting the importance of marriage in keeping families together. The study, entitled “Sources of Family Breakdown in the UK,” was conducted by Harry Benson of the Marriage Foundation. The study followed 4,476 parents of firstborn children born from 2000 to 2002 during the first 14 years of the children’s lives. Surveys were conducted to discover which couples were still together after those 14 years. Without factoring in any variables, the study found that couples who never married were nearly three times more likely to split up than those who were married before their first child was born- 60 percent split vs. 21 percent, respectively. Even when parents married after the child was born, they were still far less likely to have split up by the time the child had reached 14, with 32 percent having split up by that age.

When certain variables were taken into account, such as ethnicity, age, amount of time lived together, etc., unmarried parents were still significantly more likely to be split up than their pre-birth and post-birth married counterparts- 46 percent vs. 26 percent vs 27 percent, respectively. The study found that by age 14, 46 percent of children were not living with both natural parents. That total of 46 percent comes from 14 percent of children from married mothers, 13 percent from cohabiting mothers, and 19 percent from single mothers. On the reverse side, of the 54 percent of children who were living with both natural parents at 14, 45 percent of married mothers contributed to that number, while never-married mothers contributed only 8 percent. That means that 84 percent of all parents that are still together when their firstborn turns 14 are married. 

In a statement on the study, Benson stated the data shows that marriage clearly matters. “This detailed study, which followed thousands of families in the Millennium Cohort Study, yet again shows the simple truth that marriage matters,” he said. “There are many reasons why this is the case, but at its simplest level, this is because the act of marriage involves a clear mutual decision about your future together. It sends a big signal that puts both people on the same page and removes any lingering doubts and ambiguities.” The study showed that divorce accounted for less than a third of family breakdowns, dispelling the myth that it is the source of why so many families fall apart. The data, rather, seems to imply the lack of commitment to marriage throughout the child’s life is much more likely to cause a family breakdown. The study also noted the long-term positives for children whose parents are married. “Their teenage sons are less likely to experience mental health problems, their teenage girls are more likely to achieve both maths and English GCSE, and their adult children are more likely to go to university and less likely ever to need benefits,” it noted. 

Sir Paul Coleridge, founder of The Marriage Foundation, affirmed the importance of parents marrying. “Every experienced parent knows that if adolescents are to successfully navigate the scary teenage years, they need a secure and stable family environment. This new research is full of striking stats, but for me, two stand out. Firstly, by age 14, nearly half the nation’s children are not living with both their natural parents, which in itself is very concerning. However, of those who are still together, the vast majority (84 percent) have married parents. A paltry 16 percent of intact couples get to this crucial period unmarried.” He went on to add, “The moral of the story is that if you want to experience the rich rewards of fully enjoying your children through their tricky teenage years, marrying the other parent is a crucial first.”