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.
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.
On key economic outcomes, single adults at prime working age increasingly lag behind those who are married or cohabiting
Three-in-ten Millennials live with a spouse and child, compared with 40% of Gen Xers at a comparable age.
45% of Americans don’t think it makes a difference that there is growing variety in the types of family arrangements people live in.
As marriage rates have declined, the share of U.S. adults who have ever lived with an unmarried partner has risen.
Changes in marriage and childbearing have reshaped the American family. These shifts are playing out somewhat differently across urban, suburban and rural counties.
The share of U.S. children living with an unmarried parent has more than doubled since 1968, jumping from 13% to 32% in 2017.
Half of U.S. adults today are married, a share that has remained relatively stable in recent years but dramatically different from the peak of 72% in 1960.
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