---
title: "Say Children Key to Marriage"
description: "That's the percent of Americans who now say that children are very important for a marriage to succeed, down from 65% who said so in 1990."
date: "2007-08-27"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2007/08/27/say-children-key-to-marriage/"
---

# Say Children Key to Marriage

Just four-in-ten (41%) Americans now say that children are very important to a successful marriage, compared with 65% of the public who felt this way as recently as 1990, according to a new Pew Social Trends survey. Yet while children may be perceived as less central to marriage,they are as important as ever to their parents. As a source of adult happiness and fulfillment, children occupy a pedestal matched only by spouses and situated well above that of jobs, career, friends, hobbies and other relatives. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2007/07/01/as-marriage-and-parenthood-drift-apart-public-is-concerned-about-social-impact/)