In 2020, there were about 4.25 million Black families in the United States with a single mother. This is an increase from 1990 levels, when there were about 3.4 million Black families with a single mother.
Single parenthood
The typical family is comprised of two parents and at least one child. However, that is not the case in every single situation. A single parent is someone who has a child but no spouse or partner. Single parenthood occurs for different reasons, including divorce, death, abandonment, or single-person adoption. Historically, single parenthood was common due to mortality rates due to war, diseases, and maternal mortality. However, divorce was not as common back then, depending on the culture.
Single parent wellbeing
In countries where social welfare programs are not strong, single parents tend to suffer more financially, emotionally, and mentally. In the United States, most single parents are mothers. The struggles that single parents face are greater than those in two parent households. The number of families with a single mother in the United States has increased since 1990, but the poverty rate of black families with a single mother has significantly decreased since that same year. In comparison, the poverty rate of Asian families with a single mother, and the percentage of white, non-Hispanic families with a single mother who live below the poverty level in the United States have both been fluctuating since 2002.
Number of Black families with a single mother in the United States from 1990 to 2020
(in 1,000s)
Female householder, no spouse present - with and without children under 18 years.
The Census Bureau defines a family as follows: "A family is a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family."
Black alone - With and without children under 18 years.
Further information regarding the poverty threshold can be accessed here.
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US Census Bureau. (August 19, 2021). Number of Black families with a single mother in the United States from 1990 to 2020 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 05, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/205106/number-of-black-families-with-a-female-householder-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Number of Black families with a single mother in the United States from 1990 to 2020 (in 1,000s)." Chart. August 19, 2021. Statista. Accessed July 05, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/205106/number-of-black-families-with-a-female-householder-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. (2021). Number of Black families with a single mother in the United States from 1990 to 2020 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 05, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/205106/number-of-black-families-with-a-female-householder-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Number of Black Families with a Single Mother in The United States from 1990 to 2020 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 19 Aug 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205106/number-of-black-families-with-a-female-householder-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau, Number of Black families with a single mother in the United States from 1990 to 2020 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205106/number-of-black-families-with-a-female-householder-in-the-us/ (last visited July 05, 2022)
