The Institute of Marriage and Family Canada's analysis shows that marriage in Canada, to an astonishing degree, is linked to income. The wealthiest Canadians are very likely to be married, while the lowest income earners are very likely to be unmarried. This is a concern since marriage itself is a powerful wealth creator.
The share of married families has declined since 1976. It dropped more amongst the middle class and low income earners, causing the marriage gap to widen. However, an unexpected turning point occurred in 1998 as the marriage decline began to level off. A small dip in the number of formally married couples since then has been offset by a growth in common-law couples.
The marriage gap between rich and poor remains very large, worthy of serious consideration by policymakers.