Fact Check: "A total of 12,791 couples married last month — 12,359 heterosexual couples and 432 same-sex couples."
What We Know
The claim states that in a specific month, there were 12,791 marriages, comprising 12,359 heterosexual couples and 432 same-sex couples. To evaluate this, we can refer to the overall marriage statistics available for the United States. According to the FastStats - Marriage and Divorce, there were approximately 2,041,926 marriages in the U.S. in 2023, which translates to a marriage rate of 6.1 per 1,000 total population.
In 2019, data indicated that about 64,000 marriages were to same-sex couples, which accounted for approximately 3.7% of all marriages that year, with nearly 1.7 million marriages to different-sex couples (Payne & Manning, 2021). This suggests that while same-sex marriages are a growing segment, they still represent a smaller percentage of total marriages.
Analysis
The claim of 12,791 total marriages in a single month, with a specific breakdown into heterosexual and same-sex couples, appears to be a very localized statistic. The overall annual data from the CDC and the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the number of marriages is significantly higher on an annual basis. For example, the annual figure of over 2 million marriages suggests that the monthly average would be around 170,000 marriages per month, far exceeding the 12,791 figure mentioned in the claim.
Moreover, the breakdown of 432 same-sex marriages in a month would imply that same-sex marriages make up about 3.4% of the total marriages for that month. This is consistent with the 3.7% figure reported in 2019, but without more specific data for the month in question, it is difficult to ascertain the accuracy of the claim.
The sources used, such as the Census Bureau and the National Center for Family & Marriage Research, are reputable and provide a comprehensive overview of marriage statistics. However, they do not provide monthly breakdowns, which raises questions about the claim's specificity and accuracy.
Conclusion
Needs Research. The claim about the number of marriages in a specific month lacks sufficient corroborating evidence from reliable sources. While the overall marriage statistics indicate a much higher number of marriages on a monthly basis, the specific figures for heterosexual and same-sex marriages require more detailed data to verify their accuracy. Further investigation into localized marriage statistics is necessary to confirm or refute the claim.
Sources
- FastStats - Marriage and Divorce
- Recent (2019) Marriages to Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: Marital History and Age at Marriage
- Number, Timing and Duration of Marriages and Divorces
- Same-sex Couple Data & Demographics – The Williams Institute
- Number of Same-Sex Couple Households Exceeded 1 Million
- Marriage and Divorce - Census.gov
