In 2022, there were about 4.15 million Black families in the United States with a single mother. This is an increase from 1990 levels, when there were about 3.4 million Black families with a single mother.

Single parenthood

The typical family is comprised of two parents and at least one child. However, that is not the case in every single situation. A single parent is someone who has a child but no spouse or partner. Single parenthood occurs for different reasons, including divorce, death, abandonment, or single-person adoption. Historically, single parenthood was common due to mortality rates due to war, diseases, and maternal mortality. However, divorce was not as common back then, depending on the culture.

Single parent wellbeing

In countries where social welfare programs are not strong, single parents tend to suffer more financially, emotionally, and mentally. In the United States, most single parents are mothers. The struggles that single parents face are greater than those in two parent households. The number of families with a single mother in the United States has increased since 1990, but the poverty rate of black families with a single mother has significantly decreased since that same year. In comparison, the poverty rate of Asian families with a single mother, and the percentage of white, non-Hispanic families with a single mother who live below the poverty level in the United States have both been fluctuating since 2002.

In 1990, 48.1 percent of all Black families with a single mother in the United States lived below the poverty level. In 2023, that figure had decreased to 25.9 percent. This is significantly higher than white households with a single mother. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Black Hawk County, IA (S1101SPHOUSE019013) from 2009 to 2023 about Black Hawk County, IA; Waterloo; single-parent; IA; households; 5-year; and USA.

In 2023, there were about 1.18 million Black families with a single father living in the United States. This is an increase from 1990, when there were 472,000 Black families with a single father in the U.S.

In 2023, there were about 1.06 million Black families with a single mother living below the poverty level in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in St. Louis city, MO (S1101SPHOUSE029510) from 2009 to 2023 about St. Louis City, MO; St. Louis; single-parent; MO; households; 5-year; and USA.

In 2023, 17.8 percent of Black families with a single father were living below the poverty line in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.

In 2023, there were about 15.09 million children living with a single mother in the United States, and about 3.05 million children living with a single father. The number of children living with a single mother is down from its peak in 2012, and the number of children living with a single father is down from its peak in 2005.

Marriage and divorce in the United States

Despite popular opinion in the United States that “half of all marriages end in divorce,” the divorce rate in the U.S. has fallen significantly since 1992. The marriage rate, which has also been decreasing since the 1990s, was still higher than the divorce rate in 2021. Half of all marriages may not end in divorce, but it does seem that fewer people are choosing to get married in the first place.

New family structures

In addition to a falling marriage rate, fewer people in the U.S. have children under the age of 18 living in the house in comparison to 1970. Over the past decade, the share of families with children under 18, whether that be married couples or single parents, has stayed mostly steady, although the number of births in the U.S. has also fallen.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Unit Characteristics: Percent Black or African American by Composition of Consumer Unit: One Parent, at Least One Child Under 18 (CXU980270LB0609M) from 1984 to 2023 about parent, consumer unit, African-American, percent, child, and USA.

This dataset includes live births, birth rates, and fertility rates by race of mother in the United States since 1960.

Data availability varies by race and ethnicity groups. All birth data by race before 1980 are based on race of the child. Since 1980, birth data by race are based on race of the mother. For race, data are available for Black and White births since 1960, and for American Indians/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander births since 1980. Data on Hispanic origin are available since 1989. Teen birth rates for specific racial and ethnic categories are also available since 1989. From 2003 through 2015, the birth data by race were based on the “bridged” race categories (5). Starting in 2016, the race categories for reporting birth data changed; the new race and Hispanic origin categories are: Non-Hispanic, Single Race White; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Black; Non-Hispanic, Single Race American Indian/Alaska Native; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Asian; and, Non-Hispanic, Single Race Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (5,6). Birth data by the prior, “bridged” race (and Hispanic origin) categories are included through 2018 for comparison.

SOURCES

NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, birth data (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/births.htm); public-use data files (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/VitalStatsOnline.htm); and CDC WONDER (see http://wonder.cdc.gov/).

REFERENCES

1. National Office of Vital Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1950, Volume I. 1954. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/vsus_1950_1.pdf.

2. Hetzel AM. U.S. vital statistics system: major activities and developments, 1950-95. National Center for Health Statistics. 1997. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/usvss.pdf.

3. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1967, Volume I–Natality. 1969. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/nat67_1.pdf.

4. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, et al. Births: Final data for 2015. National vital statistics reports; vol 66 no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf.

5. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK, Drake P. Births: Final data for 2016. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 67 no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf.

6. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK, Births: Final data for 2018. National vital statistics reports; vol 68 no 13. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13.pdf.

This dataset includes birth rates for unmarried women by age group, race, and Hispanic origin in the United States since 1970.

Methods for collecting information on marital status changed over the reporting period and have been documented in:

• Ventura SJ, Bachrach CA. Nonmarital childbearing in the United States, 1940–99. National vital statistics reports; vol 48 no 16. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2000. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr48/nvs48_16.pdf. • National Center for Health Statistics. User guide to the 2013 natality public use file. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2014. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/VitalStatsOnline.htm.

National data on births by Hispanics origin exclude data for Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma in 1989; for New Hampshire and Oklahoma in 1990; for New Hampshire in 1991 and 1992. Information on reporting Hispanic origin is detailed in the Technical Appendix for the 1999 public-use natality data file (see (ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/DVS/natality/Nat1999doc.pdf.)

All birth data by race before 1980 are based on race of the child. Starting in 1980, birth data by race are based on race of the mother.

This dataset includes teen birth rates for females by age group, race, and Hispanic origin in the United States since 1960.

Data availability varies by race and ethnicity groups. All birth data by race before 1980 are based on race of the child. Since 1980, birth data by race are based on race of the mother. For race, data are available for Black and White births since 1960, and for American Indians/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander births since 1980. Data on Hispanic origin are available since 1989. Teen birth rates for specific racial and ethnic categories are also available since 1989. From 2003 through 2015, the birth data by race were based on the “bridged” race categories (5). Starting in 2016, the race categories for reporting birth data changed; the new race and Hispanic origin categories are: Non-Hispanic, Single Race White; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Black; Non-Hispanic, Single Race American Indian/Alaska Native; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Asian; and, Non-Hispanic, Single Race Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (5,6). Birth data by the prior, “bridged” race (and Hispanic origin) categories are included through 2018 for comparison.

National data on births by Hispanic origin exclude data for Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma in 1989; New Hampshire and Oklahoma in 1990; and New Hampshire in 1991 and 1992. Birth and fertility rates for the Central and South American population includes other and unknown Hispanic. Information on reporting Hispanic origin is detailed in the Technical Appendix for the 1999 public-use natality data file (see ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/DVS/natality/Nat1999doc.pdf).

Analysis of ‘NCHS - Natality Measures for Females by Race and Hispanic Origin: United States’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/e96cb229-a501-4633-8635-386ec77fe5a1 on 26 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

This dataset includes live births, birth rates, and fertility rates by race of mother in the United States since 1960.

Data availability varies by race and ethnicity groups. All birth data by race before 1980 are based on race of the child. Since 1980, birth data by race are based on race of the mother. For race, data are available for Black and White births since 1960, and for American Indians/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander births since 1980. Data on Hispanic origin are available since 1989. Teen birth rates for specific racial and ethnic categories are also available since 1989. From 2003 through 2015, the birth data by race were based on the “bridged” race categories (5). Starting in 2016, the race categories for reporting birth data changed; the new race and Hispanic origin categories are: Non-Hispanic, Single Race White; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Black; Non-Hispanic, Single Race American Indian/Alaska Native; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Asian; and, Non-Hispanic, Single Race Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (5,6). Birth data by the prior, “bridged” race (and Hispanic origin) categories are included through 2018 for comparison.

SOURCES

NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, birth data (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/births.htm); public-use data files (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/VitalStatsOnline.htm); and CDC WONDER (see http://wonder.cdc.gov/).

REFERENCES

1. National Office of Vital Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1950, Volume I. 1954. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/vsus_1950_1.pdf.

2. Hetzel AM. U.S. vital statistics system: major activities and developments, 1950-95. National Center for Health Statistics. 1997. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/usvss.pdf.

3. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1967, Volume I–Natality. 1969. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/nat67_1.pdf.

4. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, et al. Births: Final data for 2015. National vital statistics reports; vol 66 no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf.

5. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK, Drake P. Births: Final data for 2016. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 67 no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf.

6. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK, Births: Final data for 2018. National vital statistics reports; vol 68 no 13. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13.pdf.

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

In 2023, there were around 15.18 million families with a female householder and no spouse present in the United States, an increase from the previous year. You can get an overview on the total number of households in the U.S. here.

In 2021, roughly 743,000 children living with single mothers who never married were receiving public assistance in the U.S. Comparatively, there were around 13,000 children of widowed mothers receiving public assistance.

ABSTRACT This article discusses the narrative practices of a Brazilian social movement whose members are the mothers and relatives of young people victimized by police raids into Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. By analysing the narratives produced by activists, we explore how grief is converted into political fight. As we look into how mothers intertwine their individual pain with political activism, we examine (i) how emotions and suffering are organized in their narratives; and (ii) what discursive strategies are used in the process. Data was generated during public demonstrations, and the analysis suggests that it is by turning the pain of a losing a child into political insurgence that mothers narratively organize their emotions. As stories get told, events surrounding the murders are recontextualized and experiences are collectivized. Mothers’ stories become narratives of resistance, which oppose institutional racism, but also narratives of re-existence (SOUZA, 2009), which recast the deaths of their children as an effect of a necropolitical logic of state organization.

This statistic shows the percentage of women who were the primary breadwinner in the household that were single mothers in the United States in 2014, by race. Among black women who were the primary income provider to the household, 75.4 percent were single mothers in 2014.

Title SNAP Households by Household Types and Demographics 2016-2020 ACS - SNAP_HH_2020

Summary SNAP Households by type and demographics from 2016-2020 5-year period in NM Census tracts

Notes

Source US CENSUS TABLE FOOD STAMPS/SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) S2201 2020 ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATE

Prepared by EMcRae_NMCDC

Feature Service https://nmcdc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=8c3e62b5050f4bcc8853ecf0130f976d

Alias Definition

ID id

GeoName Geographic Area Name

ETH_1 Estimate Total Households

ETH_2 Estimate Total Households With one or more people in the household 60 years and over

ETH_3 Estimate Total Households No people in the household 60 years and over

ETH_4 Estimate Total Households Married-couple family

ETH_5 Estimate Total Households Other family:

ETH_6 Estimate Total Households Other family: Male householder, no spouse present

ETH_7 Estimate Total Households Other family: Female householder, no spouse present

ETH_8 Estimate Total Households Nonfamily households

ETH_9 Estimate Total Households With children under 18 years

ETH_10 Estimate Total Households With children under 18 years Married-couple family

ETH_11 Estimate Total Households With children under 18 years Other family:

ETH_12 Estimate Total Households With children under 18 years Other family: Male householder, no spouse present

ETH_13 Estimate Total Households With children under 18 years Other family: Female householder, no spouse present

ETH_14 Estimate Total Households With children under 18 years Nonfamily households

ETH_15 Estimate Total Households No children under 18 years

ETH_16 Estimate Total Households No children under 18 years Married-couple family

ETH_17 Estimate Total Households No children under 18 years Other family:

ETH_18 Estimate Total Households No children under 18 years Other family: Male householder, no spouse present

ETH_19 Estimate Total Households No children under 18 years Other family: Female householder, no spouse present

ETH_20 Estimate Total Households No children under 18 years Nonfamily households

ETH_POV_1 Estimate Total Households POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS Below poverty level

ETH_POV_2 Estimate Total Households POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS At or above poverty level

ETH_DIS_1 Estimate Total Households DISABILITY STATUS With one or more people with a disability

ETH_DIS_2 Estimate Total Households DISABILITY STATUS With no persons with a disability

ETH_RHO_1 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER White alone

ETH_RHO_2 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Black or African American alone

ETH_RHO_3 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER American Indian and Alaska Native alone

ETH_RHO_4 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Asian alone

ETH_RHO_5 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone

ETH_RHO_6 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Some other race alone

ETH_RHO_7 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Two or more races

ETH_RHO_8 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race)

ETH_RHO_9 Estimate Total Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER White alone, not Hispanic or Latino

ETH_INC_1 Estimate Total Households HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) Median income (dollars)

ETH_WS_1 Estimate Total WORK STATUS Families

ETH_WS_2 Estimate Total WORK STATUS Families No workers in past 12 months

ETH_WS_3 Estimate Total WORK STATUS Families 1 worker in past 12 months

ETH_WS_4 Estimate Total WORK STATUS Families 2 or more workers in past 12 months

EPH_2 Estimate Percent Households With one or more people in the household 60 years and over

EPH_3 Estimate Percent Households No people in the household 60 years and over

EPH_4 Estimate Percent Households Married-couple family

EPH_5 Estimate Percent Households Other family:

EPH_6 Estimate Percent Households Other family: Male householder, no spouse present

EPH_7 Estimate Percent Households Other family: Female householder, no spouse present

EPH_8 Estimate Percent Households Nonfamily households

EPH_9 Estimate Percent Households With children under 18 years

EPH_10 Estimate Percent Households With children under 18 years Married-couple family

EPH_11 Estimate Percent Households With children under 18 years Other family:

EPH_12 Estimate Percent Households With children under 18 years Other family: Male householder, no spouse present

EPH_13 Estimate Percent Households With children under 18 years Other family: Female householder, no spouse present

EPH_14 Estimate Percent Households With children under 18 years Nonfamily households

EPH_15 Estimate Percent Households No children under 18 years

EPH_16 Estimate Percent Households No children under 18 years Married-couple family

EPH_17 Estimate Percent Households No children under 18 years Other family:

EPH_18 Estimate Percent Households No children under 18 years Other family: Male householder, no spouse present

EPH_19 Estimate Percent Households No children under 18 years Other family: Female householder, no spouse present

EPH_20 Estimate Percent Households No children under 18 years Nonfamily households

EPH_POV_1 Estimate Percent Households POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS Below poverty level

EPH_POV_2 Estimate Percent Households POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS At or above poverty level

EPH_DIS_1 Estimate Percent Households DISABILITY STATUS With one or more people with a disability

EPH_DIS_2 Estimate Percent Households DISABILITY STATUS With no persons with a disability

EPH_RHO_1 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER White alone

EPH_RHO_2 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Black or African American alone

EPH_RHO_3 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER American Indian and Alaska Native alone

EPH_RHO_4 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Asian alone

EPH_RHO_5 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone

EPH_RHO_6 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Some other race alone

EPH_RHO_7 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Two or more races

EPH_RHO_8 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race)

EPH_RHO_9 Estimate Percent Households RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER White alone, not Hispanic or Latino

EPH_WS_2 Estimate Percent WORK STATUS Families No workers in past 12 months

EPH_WS_3 Estimate Percent WORK STATUS Families 1 worker in past 12 months

EPH_WS_4 Estimate Percent WORK STATUS Families 2 or more workers in past 12 months

SNAP_1 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households

SNAP_2 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households With one or more people in the household 60 years and over

SNAP_3 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households No people in the household 60 years and over

SNAP_4 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households Married-couple family

SNAP_5 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households Other family:

SNAP_6 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households Other family: Male householder, no spouse present

SNAP_7 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households Other family: Female householder, no spouse present

SNAP_8 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households Nonfamily households

SNAP_9 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households With children under 18 years

SNAP_10 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households With children under 18 years Married-couple family

SNAP_11 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households With children under 18 years Other family:

SNAP_12 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households With children under 18 years Other family: Male householder, no spouse present

SNAP_13 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households With children under 18 years Other family: Female householder, no spouse present

SNAP_14 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households With children under 18 years Nonfamily households

SNAP_15 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households No children under 18 years

SNAP_16 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households No children under 18 years Married-couple family

SNAP_17 Estimate Households receiving food stamps/SNAP Households No children under 18 years Other family:

SNAP_18 Estimate Households

Note: For information on data collection, confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see the 2020 Island Areas Censuses Technical Documentation..Due to COVID-19 restrictions impacting data collection for the 2020 Census of the U.S. Virgin Islands, data tables reporting social and economic characteristics do not include the group quarters population in the table universe. As a result, impacted 2020 data tables should not be compared to 2010 and other past census data tables reporting the same characteristics. The Census Bureau advises data users to verify table universes are the same before comparing data across census years. For more information about data collection limitations and the impacts on the U.S. Virgin Islands' data products, see the 2020 Island Areas Censuses Technical Documentation..Note: "Families" consist of a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption..Explanation of Symbols: 1.An "-" means the statistic could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of observations. 2. An "-" following a median estimate means the median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution.3. An "+" following a median estimate means the median falls in the upper interval of an open-ended distribution.4. An "N" means data are not displayed for the selected geographic area due to concerns with statistical reliability or an insufficient number of cases.5. An "(X)" means not applicable..Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census, U.S. Virgin Islands.

This statistic shows the 50 metropolitan areas with the highest percentage of female-headed family households in the United States in 2019. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area, located on the Texas-Mexico border, was ranked first with 22.08 percent of households led by single mothers in 2019.