Marriage and Cohabitation in the U.S.
As more U.S. adults are delaying marriage – or forgoing it altogether – the share who have ever lived with an unmarried partner has been on the rise.
About six-in-ten Americans say legalization of same-sex marriage is good for society
37% of Americans have a negative view of the impact of same-sex marriage being legal, with 19% saying it is very bad for society.
College grads in U.S. tend to partner with each other – especially if their parents also graduated from college
In 2019, 81% of household heads with a bachelor’s degree or more education had a spouse or partner who was also a college graduate.
Rising share of Americans see women raising children on their own, cohabitation as bad for society
47% of U.S. adults say single women raising children on their own is generally a bad thing for society, an increase of 7 points since 2018.
Rising Share of U.S. Adults Are Living Without a Spouse or Partner
On key economic outcomes, single adults at prime working age increasingly lag behind those who are married or cohabiting
On some demographic measures, people in same-sex marriages differ from those in opposite-sex marriages
Adults – particularly men – who are in same-sex marriages have a somewhat different demographic profile from adults in opposite-sex marriages.
Polygamy is rare around the world and mostly confined to a few regions
In some countries – particularly in a segment of West and Central Africa – polygamy is frequently legal and widespread.
In the pandemic, the share of unpartnered moms at work fell more sharply than among other parents
The share of unpartnered mothers who are employed and at work has fallen more precipitously than among other parents.
How Catholics around the world see same-sex marriage, homosexuality
Pope Francis made news recently by voicing his support for same-sex civil unions. The statement struck observers as a shift for the Vatican.
The Global Divide on Homosexuality Persists
Despite major changes in laws and norms surrounding the issue of same-sex marriage and the rights of LGBT people around the world, public opinion on the acceptance of homosexuality in society remains sharply divided by country, region and economic development.
As Millennials Near 40, They’re Approaching Family Life Differently Than Previous Generations
Three-in-ten Millennials live with a spouse and child, compared with 40% of Gen Xers at a comparable age.
