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Number of U.S. children living in a single parent family 1970-2018
Number of U.S. children living in a single parent family 1970-2018
Number of children living with a single mother or a single father in the U.S. from 1970 to 2018 (in 1,000s)
by Erin Duffin,
last edited
Aug 9, 2019
In 2018, there were about 16.4 million children living with a single mother in the United States, and about 3.25 million children living with a single father. The number of children living with a single mother is down from its peak in 2012, and the number of children living with a single father is down from its peak in 2005.
Marriage and divorce in the United States
Despite popular opinion in the United States that “half of all marriages end in divorce,” the divorce rate in the U.S. has fallen significantly since 1992. The marriage rate, which has also been decreasing since the 1990s, was still higher than the divorce rate in 2017. Half of all marriages may not end in divorce, but it does seem that fewer people are choosing to get married in the first place.
New family structures
In addition to a falling marriage rate, fewer people in 2018 have children under the age of 18 living in the house than there were in 1970. Over the past decade, the share of families with children under 18, whether that be married couples or single parents, has stayed mostly steady, although the number of births in the U.S. has also fallen.
Number of children living with a single mother or a single father in the U.S. from 1970 to 2018 (in 1,000s)
Loading statistic...
| Year | Mother only | Father only |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 16,395 | 3,251 |
| 2017 | 16,767 | 3,206 |
| 2016 | 17,223 | 3,006 |
| 2015 | 17,006 | 2,751 |
| 2014 | 17,410 | 2,848 |
| 2013 | 17,532 | 2,999 |
| 2012 | 17,991 | 2,924 |
| 2010 | 17,283 | 2,572 |
| 2005 | 17,225 | 3,497 |
| 2000 | 16,162 | 3,058 |
| 1995 | 16,477 | 2,461 |
| 1990 | 13,874 | 1,993 |
| 1985 | 13,081 | 1,554 |
| 1980 | 11,406 | 1,060 |
| 1975 | 10,231 | 1,014 |
| 1970 | 7,452 | 748 |
| Year | Mother only | Father only |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 16,395 | 3,251 |
| 2017 | 16,767 | 3,206 |
| 2016 | 17,223 | 3,006 |
| 2015 | 17,006 | 2,751 |
| 2014 | 17,410 | 2,848 |
| 2013 | 17,532 | 2,999 |
| 2012 | 17,991 | 2,924 |
| 2010 | 17,283 | 2,572 |
| 2005 | 17,225 | 3,497 |
| 2000 | 16,162 | 3,058 |
| 1995 | 16,477 | 2,461 |
| 1990 | 13,874 | 1,993 |
| 1985 | 13,081 | 1,554 |
| 1980 | 11,406 | 1,060 |
| 1975 | 10,231 | 1,014 |
| 1970 | 7,452 | 748 |
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by Erin Duffin,
last edited
Aug 9, 2019
In 2018, there were about 16.4 million children living with a single mother in the United States, and about 3.25 million children living with a single father. The number of children living with a single mother is down from its peak in 2012, and the number of children living with a single father is down from its peak in 2005.
Marriage and divorce in the United States
Despite popular opinion in the United States that “half of all marriages end in divorce,” the divorce rate in the U.S. has fallen significantly since 1992. The marriage rate, which has also been decreasing since the 1990s, was still higher than the divorce rate in 2017. Half of all marriages may not end in divorce, but it does seem that fewer people are choosing to get married in the first place.
New family structures
In addition to a falling marriage rate, fewer people in 2018 have children under the age of 18 living in the house than there were in 1970. Over the past decade, the share of families with children under 18, whether that be married couples or single parents, has stayed mostly steady, although the number of births in the U.S. has also fallen.
- Show sources information
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- Release date
- November 2018
- Region
- United States
- Survey time period
- 1970 to 2018
- Special properties
- children under 18 years only
- Open this statistic in...
Source
- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- November 2018
More information
- Region
- United States
- Survey time period
- 1970 to 2018
- Special properties
- children under 18 years only
- Open this statistic in...
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Statistics on "Mothers in the U.S."
- Overview
The most important statistics
- Birth rate in the United States from 1990 to 2018 (per 1,000 of population)United States - birth rate 1990-2018
- Number of children living with a single mother or a single father in the U.S. from 1970 to 2018 (in 1,000s)Number of U.S. children living in a single parent family 1970-2018
- Number of births and deaths in the United States in 2017, by stateBirths and deaths in the U.S. by state 2017
- Top 50 metropolitan areas with the highest percentage of female-headed family households in the United States in 2017U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest percentage of female-headed households 2017
- Women: All things considered, how happy are you currently with your life as a parent?Women's satisfaction with their life as a parent in the U.S. in 2014
- Birth
The most important statistics
- United States: Fertility rate from 2007 to 2017Fertility rate in the United States 2017
- Total fertility rate in the United States in 2018, by ethnicity of mother (births per 1,000 women)Total fertility rate by ethnicity U.S. 2018
- Number of births by age of mother in the United States in 2018 (in 1,000s)Births - number by age of mother 2018
- Cesarean delivery rate in the United States between 1996 and 2018, by age of mother (per 100 births)Cesarean delivery rate in the U.S. from 1996-2018, by age of mother
- Cesarean delivery rate in the United States between 1996 and 2018, by ethnicity of mother (per 100 births)Cesarean delivery rate in the U.S. from 1996-2018, by ethnicity of mother
- Number of births (per 1,000 women) by educational attainment of mother in the United States in 2018 (in 1,000s)Births (per 1,000 women) by educational attainment of mother U.S. 2018
- Twin birth rates in the United States in 2018, by age of mother (per 1,000 live births)Twin birth rates in the United States by age of mother 2018
- Single mothers
The most important statistics
- Single mothers: Number of custodial mothers in the United States from 1993 to 2011 (in 1,000s)Number of custodial mothers in the United States 2011
- Number of families with a female householder in the U.S. who live below the poverty level from 1990 to 2018 (in 1,000s)Number of poor families with a single mother in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of children living with a single mother or a single father in the U.S. from 1970 to 2018 (in 1,000s)Number of U.S. children living in a single parent family 1970-2018
- Single mothers: Number of custodial mothers awarded child support in the United States from 1993 to 2011 (in 1,000s)Number of custodial mothers awarded child support - U.S. 2011
- Employment status of custodial mothers in the United States from 1993 to 2015Work status of custodial mothers in the U.S. from 1993-2015
- Percentage of households led by a single mother with children under age 18 living in the household in the U.S. in 2018, by state*Percentage of single mother households in the U.S. 2018, by state
- Number of white, non-Hispanic families with a single mother in the United States from 1990 to 2018 (in 1,000s)Number of white, non-Hispanic single mother households U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of white, non-Hispanic families with a single mother in the U.S. who live below the poverty level from 1990 to 2018 (in 1,000s)Number of white, non-Hispanic single mother households U.S. 1990-2018
- Teenage mothers
The most important statistics
- Birth rate in the United States in 2018, by age of motherBirth rate by age of mother in the U.S. 2018
- U.S. states with the highest rate of teen births in 2018 (per 1,000 women)Top U.S. states based on teenage birth rate 2018
- Birth rates among U.S. teenagers aged 15-19 in selected years between 1991 and 2018, by ethnicity (per 1,000 women)Birth rates for U.S. teen women aged 15-19 from 1991-2018, by ethnicity
- Teenagers: How important is it for you to avoid getting pregnant/getting someone pregnant right now? (by gender, United States, 2012)Importance of avoiding pregnancy for American teenagers in 2012, by gender
- Teenagers - Do you wish you were getting more information about abstinence, birth control and protection, or both? (United States, 2012)U.S. teens' level of information about abstinence, birth control and protection 2012
- Working mothers
The most important statistics
- Time spending of stay-at-home mothers and workings mothers in the U.S. as of 2012Time spending of stay-at-home mothers and workings mothers in the U.S. 2012
- Stay-at-home parents in the United States: Share of mothers and fathers 2012United States stay-at-home mothers and fathers in 2012
- United States: What do you think are the most important issues facing working women in this country today?Most important issues facing working women in the U.S. 2014
- Average annual expenditure on babysitting and child care per consumer unit in the United States from 2007 to 2018 (in U.S. dollars)*U.S. household expenditure on babysitting and child care 2007-2018
- Distribution of child care arrangements for children ages three to five in the United States in 2016Share of child care arrangements for children ages three to five in the U.S. 2016
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Statistics
- Reasons for not having more children
- Desire of parents to have more children 2013
- Survey on children growing up happily with a single parent in 2010, by age of respondents
- Canada: number of lone-parent families, by number of children 2017
- Knowledge of parents about managing personal finances in the U.S. 2015
- Living distance between American parents and children in 2011
- Number of poor Asian families with a single mother in the U.S. 2002-2018
- Number of poor white, non-Hispanic single father households U.S. 1990-2018
- Poverty rate of Asian families with a single father in the U.S. 2002-2018
- Number of single parent families in Canada 2006-2018
- Number of poor Asian families with a single father in the U.S. 2002-2018
- Number of poor Black single mothers in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of poor Hispanic families with a single mother in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Parents contact frequency in Spain 2014
- Poverty rate of Black single fathers in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Reasons of children and their parents for doing physical activity in France 2015
- Time children spent online or gaming in France 2014, by parental restriction level
- Parents playing music to children in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018, by music genre
- Frequency of reading print among parents in the UK 2013, by demographic
- Age of parents who have taken out payday loans in Great Britain 2014
Statistics on "Mothers in the U.S. - Overview"
Statistics on "Mothers in the U.S. - Birth"
- Fertility rate in the United States 2017
- Total fertility rate by ethnicity U.S. 2018
- Births - number by age of mother 2018
- Cesarean delivery rate in the U.S. from 1996-2018, by age of mother
- Cesarean delivery rate in the U.S. from 1996-2018, by ethnicity of mother
- Births (per 1,000 women) by educational attainment of mother U.S. 2018
- Twin birth rates in the United States by age of mother 2018
Statistics on "Mothers in the U.S. - Single mothers"
- Number of custodial mothers in the United States 2011
- Number of poor families with a single mother in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of U.S. children living in a single parent family 1970-2018
- Number of custodial mothers awarded child support - U.S. 2011
- Work status of custodial mothers in the U.S. from 1993-2015
- Percentage of single mother households in the U.S. 2018, by state
- Number of white, non-Hispanic single mother households U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of white, non-Hispanic single mother households U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of Hispanic families with a single mother in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Poverty rate of Hispanic families with a single mother in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of Black single mothers in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Poverty rate of Black single mothers U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of Asian families with a single mother in the U.S. 2002-2018
- Poverty rate of Asian families with a single mother in the U.S. 2002-2018
Statistics on "Mothers in the U.S. - Teenage mothers"
- Birth rate by age of mother in the U.S. 2018
- Top U.S. states based on teenage birth rate 2018
- Birth rates for U.S. teen women aged 15-19 from 1991-2018, by ethnicity
- Importance of avoiding pregnancy for American teenagers in 2012, by gender
- U.S. teens' level of information about abstinence, birth control and protection 2012
Statistics on "Mothers in the U.S. - Working mothers"
- Time spending of stay-at-home mothers and workings mothers in the U.S. 2012
- United States stay-at-home mothers and fathers in 2012
- Most important issues facing working women in the U.S. 2014
- U.S. household expenditure on babysitting and child care 2007-2018
- Share of child care arrangements for children ages three to five in the U.S. 2016
Further related statistics
- Reasons for not having more children
- Desire of parents to have more children 2013
- Survey on children growing up happily with a single parent in 2010, by age of respondents
- Canada: number of lone-parent families, by number of children 2017
- Knowledge of parents about managing personal finances in the U.S. 2015
- Living distance between American parents and children in 2011
- Number of poor Asian families with a single mother in the U.S. 2002-2018
- Number of poor white, non-Hispanic single father households U.S. 1990-2018
- Poverty rate of Asian families with a single father in the U.S. 2002-2018
- Number of single parent families in Canada 2006-2018
- Number of poor Asian families with a single father in the U.S. 2002-2018
- Number of poor Black single mothers in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Number of poor Hispanic families with a single mother in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Parents contact frequency in Spain 2014
- Poverty rate of Black single fathers in the U.S. 1990-2018
- Reasons of children and their parents for doing physical activity in France 2015
- Time children spent online or gaming in France 2014, by parental restriction level
- Parents playing music to children in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018, by music genre
- Frequency of reading print among parents in the UK 2013, by demographic
- Age of parents who have taken out payday loans in Great Britain 2014
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