The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years
Ahead of the nation’s birthday, Pew Research Center identified some prominent trends across key areas of American life: demographics, work, family and economics.
Family & Relationships
Family Caregiving in an Aging America
Family members are increasingly caring for aging parents or spouses as the U.S. population gets older. Caregivers’ experiences differ by gender.
How Parents Use Online Communities
On Reddit’s largest parenting forum, around one-in-five posts mention kids’ tech use. Posts often express negative emotions, but comments are overwhelmingly supportive.
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Growing share of Americans say fewer people having kids would negatively impact the U.S.
Over half of Americans (53%) now say fewer people choosing to have children in the future would negatively impact the United States.
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5 facts about global fertility trends
Africa is the only world region where the fertility rate is currently higher than the global replacement-level fertility.
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Majorities of LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ U.S. adults under 50 want to get married someday
59% of LGBTQ U.S. adults under 50 who have never married say they want to get married someday, and 63% of non-LGBTQ adults in this age range say the same.
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International adoptions to the U.S. have slowed to a trickle, matching trends in other countries
After peaking in 2004, the annual number of international adoptions to the United States has fallen by 94% as of 2023.
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U.S. adults in their 20s and 30s plan to have fewer children than in the past
These declines in the number of children adults plan to have occurred almost entirely in the last decade.
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Rising Number of U.S. Households Are Headed by Married Same-Sex Couples
The number of households headed by same-sex couples in the U.S. has risen steadily, but they represent a small share of all married couples.
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Same-Sex Parents Raising Kids
Same-sex parents discuss their unique challenges and paths to parenthood, as well the support they’ve received from their families, friends and communities.
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Same-Sex Marriage Around the World
Sort through nearly 40 jurisdictions that have enacted laws allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
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How connected do Americans feel to their neighbors?
When it comes to trust, 44% of adults say they trust all or most of the people in their neighborhood.
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Americans’ Trust in One Another
Americans trust each other less than they did a few decades ago. We explore why this is, and why some are more trusting than others.
