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Marital Status & Poverty
Released: May 2016Next expected update: 2024
- The never-married elderly (aged 65 or older) have the highest poverty rate among all groups, followed by those who are divorced and widowed.
- The overall elderly poverty rate is almost two-thirds higher among women than men with 12 percent of women in poverty compared with 7 percent of men. Unmarried women—including those who are widowed, divorced, and never married—are significantly more likely than unmarried men to be poor.
- The unmarried elderly are disproportionately poorer than the married elderly. Never-married individuals represent about 5 percent of the elderly, but 12 percent of the elderly poor. Likewise, divorced individuals make up 12 percent of the elderly and 20 percent of the elderly poor. Widowed individuals make up a quarter of the elderly, but 37 percent of the elderly poor.
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| Marital status | Both sexes | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 10.0 | 7.4 | 12.1 |
| Married | 5.0 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
| Widowed | 14.8 | 9.2 | 16.3 |
| Divorced | 16.2 | 12.8 | 18.4 |
| Never married | 23.6 | 20.4 | 26.1 |
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| Marital status | Percent of elderly population |
|---|---|
| Married | 58 |
| Widowed | 25 |
| Divorced | 12 |
| Never married | 5 |
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| Marital status | Percentage in poverty |
|---|---|
| Married | 31 |
| Widowed | 37 |
| Divorced | 20 |
| Never married | 12 |