In 1950, the number of married Americans stood at 62 percent, two-thirds of the country. But a 2025 study by the renowned Barna Group found that the number has dropped to 46 percent. And when it comes to family growth, in 2024 the U.S. birth rate hit a record low.
“More and more individuals (are) delaying marriage if they get married at all, and even more striking, a massive decline in the number of babies being born,” Emma Waters, a policy analyst at Heritage Foundation, told CBN News. “So typically, the replacement rate should sit around 2.1 for a country to actually be replacing itself effectively, and yet in the United States today, that number has continued to decline year after year.”
Waters, a co-author of the “Saving America by Saving the Family” study, believes the only way forward for America is a society re-committed to the institution of marriage.
“We should stop punishing married families in the United States through welfare penalties and other marriage penalties,” said Waters. “We should start supporting the American family through a host of multifaceted approaches.”
One approach the study suggests would be financial, such as a $2,500 bonus for newly married couples.
“This would be called the ‘Nest Fund’ or the ‘Newlywed Early Starter Plan for American Families,'” explained Waters. “The second would be taking something similar to the adoption tax credit, which is about $17,000, and transferring that to American families, all American families who are having children.”
It is a proposal that comes as more young Americans lack interest in tying the knot.
According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2023, 67 percent of twelfth graders expressed they would likely choose to get married someday, down from 80 percent in 1993. And 24 percent don’t know if they’ll get married, up from 16 percent.
To counter that trend, the “Saving America by Saving the Family” report encourages a marriage boot camp for struggling families.
Waters commented, “What would it look like if we actually channeled all of our federal programs towards the singular message that marriage is good and that it’s very hard and we want to provide whatever resources we can to support you?”
She added, “The long-term impact of that is that you do see couples who would under undergo this marriage boot camp having longer, healthier marriages or maybe getting married in the first place where they hadn’t before.”
A uniform Day of Rest for American Workers is also on the list, an idea that would build upon Blue laws that limit alcohol sales in some states.
“We recognize that one of the most important aspects of being human is not only working hard and working diligently, but having a day set apart where you can unplug from the regular grind of the work week and simply be present to rest, to be with your family, to worship if you are a religious person, and to really reconnect with yourself and with your values,” said Waters.
It is her hope that the federal government will seriously consider these recommendations to refocus politics around saving and supporting the American family.
“There is simply no greater good to invest in, and that should be our top priority,” Waters said.
