The survey revealed that because of their concerns over the economy:
- One in ten Americans are postponing marriage
- One in ten Americans are delaying having children
- Six percent of Americans considering adopting children are delaying
- Four percent of Americans are postponing a divorce
The economy is having an especially profound effect on young people. Nearly 40 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 34 are delaying marriage, divorce or having children. A quarter of people in that age group say they are postponing having children due to the economy. Nearly as many - 21 percent - say the economy is causing them to delay their plans to get married.
The effects of the economy on these major life decisions fall most heavily on people in the lower income ranges. More than one-third - 35 percent - of people with annual incomes below $35,000 say they are delaying marriage, divorce or having children because of the economy, compared with only seven percent of those with incomes of $75,000 a year or more.
