Charts

FamilyFacts.org Charts highlight empirical data related to family and religious practice.

 
  • Percent of births to unwed mothers, by age group Unwed childbearing has increased dramatically, regardless of mother's age Today, nearly nine in 10 children born to teenage mothers are born outside of marriage - a more than six-fold increase since 1950. The increase among mothers in their early twenties was especially pronounced: a 16-fold jump. The increase among unwed mothers age 30 and older is at least 10-fold.
  • Percent of unwed births by mother's age Most unwed childbearing occurs among females in their twenties About 60 percent of all unwed births are to mothers in their twenties. About 20 percent of unwed births are to teenage mothers.
  • Birth rates by mother's marital status The gap between married and unmarried birth rates has narrowed Since 1960, the rate of births to married mothers has decreased by 45 percent to 85.7 per 1,000 married women. During the same period, the rate of unwed childbirths has increased by 134 percent to 50.5 per 1,000 unmarried women.
  • Birth rates and fertility rates, by race Birth and fertility rates have fallen significantly since 1960 Since 1960, the overall birth rate has fallen 45 percent, and the fertility rate, 46 percent. Since 1990, African-Americans and Hispanics have had the largest declines. Today, rates are highest among Hispanics and lowest among whites.
  • Total fertility rates, by race Total fertility rates are lowest among whites and highest among Hispanics The total fertility rate is the average number of children that a woman is expected to have, based on current fertility patterns. Currently, the rate for a Hispanic woman is about 1.3 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic white women.
  • Average age of mother The average age of first-time mothers has steadily increased Since 1970, the average age of mothers giving birth to their first child has increased from 21 to 25. For all births, the average age of the mother has increased by about three years over this same period.
  • Currently married women and anniversaries Most currently married women have been married for at least fifteen years More than half of women currently married have reached their 15-year wedding anniversary. Compared to 1996, recent current marriages tend to be slightly more enduring, regardless of race, reflecting the leveling off of divorces and longer life expectancy, according to the Census Bureau.
  • Poverty rates of unwed-female households Single-mother families make up half of all households in poverty Among all families, nearly one in five is headed by unmarried women, compared to one in two among poor families. One in three families headed by unmarried women is poor, compared to one in 10 of all families. One in four children lives in single-mother families, but one in two children living in such families is poor.
  • Male median income, by marital status Married men have higher incomes than single men The median income of married men living with their spouses is 64 percent greater than that of married men whose spouses are absent, 109 percent greater than never-married men, and 33 percent greater than divorced men.
  • Female median income, by marital status Married women have higher incomes than never-married women The median income of married women living with their spouses is 21 percent more than that of married women whose spouses are absent and 36 percent more than that of never-married women. However, their median income is 10 percent less than that of divorced women.
  • White male median income, by marital status Among whites, married men have higher incomes than never-married men The median income of white men living with their spouses is 41 percent more than that of married men whose spouses are absent, 113 percent more than that of never-married men, and 35 percent more than that of divorced men.
  • Black male median income, by marital status Among African-Americans, married men have higher incomes than never-married men Among African-Americans, the median income of married men living with their spouses is 34 percent more than that of those whose spouses are absent, 134 percent more than that of men who never married, and 28percent more than that of divorced men.
  • Black female median income, by marital status Among African-Americans, married women generally have higher incomes than never-married women Among African-Americans, the median income of married women living with their spouses is 35 percent more than that of peers whose spouses are absent, 60 percent more than that of those who never married, and 9 percent more than that of divorced women.
  • Hispanic male median income, by marital status Among Hispanics, married men have higher incomes than never-married men The median income of Hispanic men living with their spouses is 65 percent more than that of married men whose spouses are absent, 67 percent more than that of never-married men, and 3 percent more than that of divorced men.
  • Hispanic female median income, by marital status Among Hispanics, married women generally have higher incomes than never-married women Among Hispanics, the median income of married women living with their spouses is 19 percent more than that of peers whose spouses are absent and 24 percent more than that of those who never married. However, they earn 16 percent less than divorced women.
  • Current health conditions, by marital status Married adults tend to report better health Nearly nine in 10 married adults report being in good or very good health, a greater share than non-married peers.
  • Per-pupil expenditures Per-pupil education spending has steadily increased The amount spent per pupil on education in the United States has increased by nearly 30 percent since the mid-1990s. Today, the U.S. spends approximately $10,000 annually per K-12 student.
  • Average public high school freshman graduation rate The average public high-school graduation rate has remained relatively flat The average graduation rate of public high-school freshmen - an estimate of on-time graduating - decreased slightly in the 1970s and since that time has remained between 70 and 76 percent.
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