The Modern American Family
Key trends in marriage and family life in the United States.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Parenthood
The Experiences of U.S. Adults Who Don’t Have Children
Some 57% of adults under 50 who say they are unlikely to have kids say a major reason is they just don’t want to. Among those ages 50 and older, 31% cite this as a reason.
Among parents with young adult children, some dads feel less connected to their kids than moms do
Majorities of both moms and dads with a young adult child age 18 to 34 say they’re as involved in their child’s day-to-day life as they’d like to be.
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How Parents Manage Screen Time for Kids
About four-in-ten parents say they could be doing better at managing their kid’s screen time. A larger share – 58% – say they’re doing the best they can.
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Growing share of Americans say fewer people having kids would negatively impact the U.S.
Over half of Americans (53%) now say fewer people choosing to have children in the future would negatively impact the United States.
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5 facts about global fertility trends
Africa is the only world region where the fertility rate is currently higher than the global replacement-level fertility.
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Majorities of LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ U.S. adults under 50 want to get married someday
59% of LGBTQ U.S. adults under 50 who have never married say they want to get married someday, and 63% of non-LGBTQ adults in this age range say the same.
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International adoptions to the U.S. have slowed to a trickle, matching trends in other countries
After peaking in 2004, the annual number of international adoptions to the United States has fallen by 94% as of 2023.
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Rising Number of U.S. Households Are Headed by Married Same-Sex Couples
The number of households headed by same-sex couples in the U.S. has risen steadily, but they represent a small share of all married couples.
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Same-Sex Parents Raising Kids
Same-sex parents discuss their unique challenges and paths to parenthood, as well the support they’ve received from their families, friends and communities.
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Are children better off when one parent has a job or when both do? U.S. teens differ in their views
In the U.S., 43% of teenagers say children are better off when one parent doesn’t have a job and focuses on the family.
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The shares of young adults living with parents vary widely across the U.S.
In 2023, 18% of adults ages 25 to 34 were living in a parent’s home. Young men were more likely than young women to do so (20% vs. 15%).
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Best age to get married, have a child, buy a home and retire? Here’s what Americans say
Among those who say there is a best age, many say it’s ideal to get married, have a child and buy a home between the ages of 25 and 34.
