2 Feb 2023
Single motherhood has grown so common in America that today 80 percent of single-parent families are headed by single mothers — nearly a third live in poverty.
Once largely limited to poor women and minorities, single motherhood is now becoming the new “norm”. This prevalence is due in part to the growing trend of children born outside marriage — a societal trend that was virtually unheard of decades ago.
According to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau, 4 out of about 11 million single parent families with children under the age of 18, nearly 80 percent were headed by single mothers. 5
About 4 out 10 children were born to unwed mothers. 1 Nearly two-thirds were born to mothers under the age of 30. 2 Today 1 in 4 children under the age of 18 — a total of about 13 million — are being raised without a father. 3