The Modern American Family
Key trends in marriage and family life in the United States.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Key trends in marriage and family life in the United States.
Americans are more pessimistic than optimistic about the institution of marriage and the family. At the same time, the public is fairly accepting of diverse family arrangements, though some are seen as more acceptable than others.
Most U.S. young adults are at least mostly financially independent and happy with their parents’ involvement in their lives. Parent-child relationships are mostly strong.
Most workers are highly satisfied with their relationship with their co-workers and manager, but relatively few feel the same about their pay or opportunities for promotion.
Among married couples in the United States, women’s financial contributions have grown steadily over the last half century. Even when earnings are similar, husbands spend more time on paid work and leisure, while wives devote more time to caregiving and housework.
Nearly half of U.S. adults say the pandemic has driven people in their community apart. Many see a long road to recovery: About one-in-five say life in their community will never get back to the way it was before COVID-19.
The growing gender gap in higher education – in enrollment and graduation rates – has been a topic of conversation and debate in recent months.
What it means to be a military veteran in the United States is being shaped by a new generation of service members. About one-in-five veterans today served on active duty after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Their collective experiences – from deployment to combat to the transition back to civilian life – are markedly different from those who served in previous eras.
When Americans peer 30 years into the future, they see a country in decline economically, politically and on the world stage.
Today’s 6- to 21-year-olds are already America’s most racially and ethnically diverse generation – and more of them are heading to college than previous generations.
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