Kathryn Grendell (kjbraham@byu.edu); Seth Driggs (sethdriggs1@gmail.com); Olivia Black (olivia.leishman7@gmail.com); (Kimalie Nye (kimalie.nye@gmail.com)

Increased marriage rates in a population have been suggested to lead to higher income levels for that population (Fry & Cohn, 2010). To test this hypothesis, we are exploring the possible correlation between a country's income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient and the percent of the population that is married for several Western countries. Data for these indicators were obtained from Brigham Young University's Global Families Research Initiative, who collated data for each country from institutions such as the World Bank and national statistical bureaus. By analyzing the potential correlation between income inequality and population married, we hope to better understand the benefits of marriage for a general population. Additionally, we plan to compile data that shows the percent of men who are married and the percent of women who are married in each country's population, which will allow us to determine if the correlation holds true for these separate demographics. Upon initial observation, we expect there to be an inverse relationship between the two variables, such that a country with a high percentage of married citizens will have a low Gini coefficient. We begin with this assumption due to research done by Fry & Cohn (2010) in which they show an upward trend in income related to higher marriage rates. While their work focuses solely on U.S. born households, we intend to apply their theories on an international scale.