Monday, June 2, 2003

A press release issued today by the Census Bureau contains demographic and social information about single fathers. 

The Father's Day release is part of the Bureau's ongoing Facts for Features series.  Here are some highlights from the release.

2.0 million -- Number of single fathers, up from 393,000 in 1970. There now is one single father for every six single parents, compared with 1-in-10 in 1970.

Among these fathers ?

-- 10 percent are raising three or more of their own children under 18.

-- 45 percent are divorced; 34 percent have never married; 17 percent are married with an absent spouse; and 4 percent are widowed.

-- 10 percent are raising their own infants under age 1. This percentage is not significantly different from the corresponding rate for fathers in married-couple families.

-- 22 percent are under 30.

-- 5 percent are 55 or over. This percentage is not significantly different from the corresponding rate for fathers in married-couple families.

-- 13 percent live in the home of a relative or a nonrelative.

-- 24 percent have an annual family income of $50,000 or more.

3-in-10 -- The ratio of children under 18 living with their single father who also resided in a household that included dad's unmarried partner. In contrast, only 1-in-10 children who lived with their single mother shared the home with mom's unmarried partner.