Cohabitation may be increasingly popular compared to marriage, but the previously well-documented health and social benefits of marriage persist.

A comprehensive and wide-ranging study by Britain’s central statistical agency presents much evidence that marriage is associated with better health for both adults and children.

The Office for National Statistics has published definitive proof that married couples live longer, enjoy better health and can rely on more home care in old age than their divorced, widowed, single and cohabiting peers. Children who live with their married parents are also healthier, and can expect to stay in full-time education for longer, whatever their economic background.
. . .
Mike Murphy, Professor of Demography at the London School of Economics and one of the authors of the report, said he had expected that society’s greater acceptance of divorce and single-parenthood would have eroded the benefits of marriage, on health in particular, but this did not appear to be so.

“The evidence of both mortality and morbidity data suggest the link between health and the family remain strong,” Professor Murphy said.

The study also reports that divorced and separated persons, especially men, suffer serious adverse mental and physical health effects.  Divorce is also seen to adversely affect children’s mental and physical health.  From pp. 57-58 of the full pdf report:

Parental divorce is not only associated with mental neurosis, but also helps foster ‘various physical diseases, including cardiac disorders’ later in their lives. [footnote omitted]

Similarly, children born out of wedlock experience worse health than children born to married parents.

The first statistical study of the relationship between marital status and mortality was conducted in 1858.  Analysis of data from France in the mid-19th century found significantly lower mortality rates among married adults.

The ONS study, entitled Focus On Families, is based on the 2001 Census and other sources, including previously published academic research.  It can be downloaded here.

h/t: MarriageDebate.com

Previous related posts: