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 12,791 couples married in a recent month, with a breakdown of 12,359 heterosexual couples and 432 same-sex couples. To evaluate this claim, we can refer to the most recent data on marriage statistics in the United States.
According to the CDC's FastStats, the total number of marriages in the U.S. for the year 2023 is projected to be approximately 2,041,926. This translates to a marriage rate of about 6.1 per 1,000 total population. While this figure provides a broad overview of marriage trends, it does not specify monthly statistics.
In terms of same-sex marriages, data from the American Community Survey indicates that in 2019, there were approximately 64,000 marriages to same-sex couples, which represented about 3.7% of all marriages that year. This suggests that the number of same-sex marriages is significantly lower than the number of heterosexual marriages.
Furthermore, the Census Bureau reported that in 2021, there were roughly 710,000 married same-sex couple households in the U.S. This indicates a growing trend, but still highlights that the number of same-sex marriages remains a small fraction of total marriages.
Analysis
The claim of 12,791 total marriages in a single month, with a specific breakdown of heterosexual and same-sex couples, appears to be inconsistent with the broader marriage statistics available. If we consider the annual marriage total of over 2 million, dividing this by 12 months would yield an average of approximately 170,000 marriages per month.
Given that the claim specifies only 432 same-sex marriages, this would imply that same-sex couples represent about 3.4% of the total marriages for that month, which aligns closely with the 3.7% statistic from 2019. However, the absolute number of same-sex marriages (432) seems disproportionately low compared to the total number of marriages claimed (12,791), especially considering the overall trend of increasing same-sex marriages.
Moreover, the reliability of the sources used to support the claim is questionable. The CDC and Census Bureau data are credible and based on comprehensive surveys, while the specific claim lacks a verifiable source. Without a clear reference to how the numbers were derived, the claim cannot be substantiated.
Conclusion
Verdict: False
The claim that 12,791 couples married last month, with 12,359 being heterosexual and 432 same-sex couples, is misleading. The total number of marriages in a month, based on annual statistics, would be significantly higher than the figure provided. Additionally, the breakdown of same-sex marriages appears inconsistent with broader trends and statistics. Therefore, the claim does not hold up against the available data.
