Kiley Crossland: Shotgun Cohabitation

Unwed couples who get pregnant are more likely to move in together than to get married

Unwed couples who get pregnant are more likely to move in together than to get married, according to government data collected over the past decade. Cohabitation has surpassed “shotgun weddings” as the most common reaction to an unplanned pregnancy by an unmarried couple, a growing trend that creates an unstable environment for children.

The trend is outlined in a soon-to-be-released report from the National Survey of Family Growth, a data collection program compiled every four years by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The survey collects data on the relationship status of women before and after conception and childbirth.

The data gathered between 2006 and 2010 indicates that about 18.1 percent of single women facing an unplanned pregnancy decide to move in with their boyfriend. Only 5.3 percent decide to get married, down from 25 percent in the early 1990s, according to research by Cornell University’s Daniel Lichter. Keep reading