As family structures change in U.S., a growing share of Americans say it makes no difference
45% of Americans don’t think it makes a difference that there is growing variety in the types of family arrangements people live in.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
45% of Americans don’t think it makes a difference that there is growing variety in the types of family arrangements people live in.
Sizable shares say men have more opportunities for high-paying jobs and that men should have preferential treatment when jobs are scarce.
As marriage rates have declined, the share of U.S. adults who have ever lived with an unmarried partner has risen.
Financial independence is one of the many markers used to designate the crossover from childhood into young adulthood, and it’s a milestone most Americans (64%) think young adults should reach by the time they are 22 years old, according to a new Pew Research Center study. But that’s not the reality for most young adults who’ve reached this age.
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.
Despite widening gaps in politics and demographics, Americans across community types have a lot in common in key facets of their lives.
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.
Long-term growth in total U.S. births has been driven by the foreign born, who accounted for 23% of all babies born in 2014.
For the first time since 1880, Americans ages 18 to 34 are more likely to be living with their parent(s) than in a household shared with a spouse or partner.
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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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