The family is the fundamental unit of society. As Pope Saint John Paul II so eloquently stated, “as the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Unfortunately, rates of marriage and family formation have hit record lows across the nation in recent years. This report focuses on family dynamics in Texas, identifies barriers to marriage and family formation in the Lone Star State, and proposes a pro-family policy agenda for the state.

KEY POINTS

• Since 1990, the annual number of marriages per thousand Texas residents has fallen by 45%, from 10.5 per 1,000 in 1990 to 5.8 per 1,000 in 2022.
• The total fertility rate for Texas currently stands at 1.84 births per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman.
• Approximately 54% of Texas children are being raised by married, biological parents.
• Children raised in non-intact families face numerous disadvantages, including higher poverty rates, poorer educational outcomes, and increased exposure to violence and substance abuse as compared to their peers with intact families.
• The crisis of marriage and family formation involves both economic and complex cultural and social factors that a family-first policy agenda can help address.

Read the full report below.