Demographics:
Per capita population:
There are 89 million unmarried adults in
the United States.
Singles constitute more than 40% of the
adult population in the nation.
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About 42% of the
nation's workforce are unmarried employees
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The Census Bureau estimates that about 10%
of adults will never marry.
Households:
Nearly half of the nation's households are headed by unmarried
adults
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Married couples with minor children live in
fewer than 25% of the nation’s households.
Single adults living alone comprise about
27% of the nation’s households.
Another 13 million single adults are living
with unmarried relatives.
Nearly 6% of the nation’s households
are composed of two unrelated adults living together, with 68% of these households
containing partners of the opposite sex.
Hispanic households are the most likely to
contain a married couple:
63% of Hispanic households contain a married
couple.
56% of Caucasian (non-Hispanic) households
contain a married couple.
32% of African American households contain a
married couple.
Singles tend to be renters rather than home
owners. Of the nation’s 65 million owner-occupied units, 69% are occupied by married
couples. Of the nation’s 34 million rental units, only 38% are occupied by married
couples.
Unmarried Cohabitation:
Of people who have recently married, the
majority had cohabited together prior to marriage.
Opposite-sex cohabitation is increasing
rapidly, with a 28% increase between 1990 and 1994.
In 1970, there was one unmarried couple for
every 100 married couples in the nation.
In 1995, there were seven unmarried couples
for every 100 married couples in the nation.
Older Adults:
People with
Disabilities
Marriage rate:
Divorce:
Rate:
The divorce rate has remained fairly stable
since 1988.
It was 2.5 divorces per 1,000 population in
1966, 5.3 divorces per 1,000 population in 1981, and 4.6
divorces per 1,000 population in 1993.
Numbers:
In 1970, 3.0% of the adult population was
currently divorced.
In 1994, 9.0% of the adult population was
currently divorced.
In 1997, 9.8% of the adult population was
currently divorced.
Nonmarital childbearing:
In 1980, one in five births was nonmarital;
in 1992 almost one in three births were to unmarried women. This a 54% increase in only 12
years.
In 1998, the Census Bureau reported that a
MAJORITY of first-born children in recent years were either conceived by, or born to,
unmarried parents.
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In
2003, 35% of all births were to unmarried mothers
Premarital sex:
virgins at time of
marriage:
Of those born between 1933 and 1942:
22% of men & 54% of women were virgins.
Of those born between 1963 and 1974:
16% of men & 20% of women
were virgins.
Of those born between 1933 and 1942:
84% of men & 94% of women did
not cohabit.
Of those born between 1963 and 1974:
34% of men & 35% of women did not
cohabit.
Single parent families:
Public Opinion Polls:
American Enterprise,
7-1-95:
1972: 71% said yes |
1994: 51% said yes |
Women having children out of wedlock is:
Acceptable: 27% |
Unacceptable: 59% |
A single parent family is:
Acceptable: 61% |
Unacceptable: 22% |
National Opinion Research
Center:
Premarital sex is wrong:
| 1937: 55.0% agree |
1973:
47.0% agree |
| 1959: 54.0% agree |
1990:
40.0% agree |
| 1969: 68.8% agree |
1991:
37.0% agree |
Marital status and
politics:
In the last three presidential elections, a
majority of unmarried adults voted for the Democratic nominee, while a majority of married
adults voted for the Republican nominee. In the national election held in 1998, 33% of
voters were unmarried, with a large majority of unmarried voters favoring Democratic
candidates for Congress.
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