In 2023, there were about 6.65 million white, non-Hispanic families with a single mother living in the United States. This is a slight increase from 1990, when there were 6.4 million white families with a single mother living in the U.S.

In 2023, about 1.11 million white, non-Hispanic families with a single mother were 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.

This graph shows the Percentage of households led by a female householder with no spouse present with own children under 18 years living in the household in the U.S. in 2021, by state. In 2021, about 4.24 percent of Californian households were single mother households with at least one child.

Additional information on single mother households and poverty in the United States

For most single mothers a constant battle persists between finding the time and energy to raise their children and the demands of working to supply an income to house and feed their families. The pressures of a single income and the high costs of childcare mean that the risk of poverty for these families is a tragic reality. Comparison of the overall United States poverty rate since 1990 with that of the poverty rate for families with a female householder shows that poverty is much more prevalent in the latter. In 2021, while the overall rate was at 11.6 percent, the rate of poverty for single mother families was 23 percent. Moreover, the degree of fluctuation tends to be lower for single female household families, suggesting the rate of poverty for these groups is less affected by economic conditions.

The sharp rise in the number of children living with a single mother or single father in the United States from 1970 to 2022 suggests more must be done to ensure that families in such situations are able to avoid poverty. Moreover, attention should also be placed on overall racial income inequality given the higher rate of poverty for Hispanic single mother families than their white or Asian counterparts.

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 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.

This study was designed to increase the understanding of single parenthood. It investigated the ways in which the structure and function of the lives of a small sample of single parents differ from parents with partners who share parenting responsibilities. The researchers hoped that by forming a clearer picture of the everyday lives of single parents, their findings could be used by government or private agencies to better serve this population. The study was an in-depth examination of the lives of women who had sole responsibility for the care of their children. A small sample of married couples with children and another of divorced or separated men who were noncustodial parents were interviewed to provide comparative data. The study concentrated on two general aspects of the respondents' lives: 1) their relationships and contacts with other people; and 2) their problems and concerns. By focusing on the respondents' social ties, the researchers could examine the relationships of single parents, the roles these relationships play in their lives, and how these relationships may or may not help them cope with the challenges they face. The sample consisted of 46 parents, all of whom were part of a longitudinal study of social ties among low-income parents. Among the single women in the low-income parents study was a subsample of 10 British women who were single mothers. All parents participated in a series of loosely-structured, face-to-face interviews covering a range of topics, including: household composition, children and other family members, social contacts, paid employment, formal relationships, and financial issues. The Murray Research Archive holds all interview transcripts.

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.

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.

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).

This exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the factors affecting adaptation to motherhood among single new mothers. The aim of this study was to identify the social and psychological factors which contribute to positive adaptation to motherhood within a population of white, middle-class, adult women. Twenty unmarried White women who were at least 23 years old and pregnant with their first child were recruited, primarily through the offices of obstetricians in private practice in the Boston area. Data were collected on the socioeconomic resources expected during the first year of parenting, degree of involvement with the baby's father, decision making regarding pregnancy, capacity for nurturance, visualization of self as mother, feminine body image (gender identity), prepartum anxiety, prepartum depression, and maternal role adaptation at two months postpartum. The follow-up study, 15-18 months after the birth of the participant's baby, included three measures: a one-page questionnaire; the State-Trait Anxiety Index measure, used also in the initial data collection; and a taped interview on reactions to motherhood, attitudes towards the baby, changes in feeding, the baby's development, child-rearing practices, and involvement with and support from the baby's father. The Murray Archive holds additional analogue materials for this study [written responses to questions about finances and child-care resources, a clinical interview (tape-recorded and transcribed), a projective drawing task, and responses to the A-State Scale (anxiety) and the Pitt Scale (depression)]. If you would like to access this material, please apply to use the data.

The Stress and Families Project was undertaken to investigate the relationship between life situation and mental health among low-income mothers, the group at greatest risk for depression. This longitudinal research project was interdisciplinary in approach and involved interview and observation data on mothers, children, and fathers. The participants were 43 low-income mothers who were recruited for the study without regard to their current mental health status. Each woman had at least one child between three and seven years of age. Approximately one-half were white and one-half African-American, and within each of those groups approximately one-half were single and one-half living with a husband or boyfriend. The women ranged in age from 21 to 44 and represented every legal marital status. Data were collected by teams of two researchers conducting interviews and observations in the women's homes over a period of several months. Interview topics included a description of a typical day in the life of the family; mental health assessment including measures of locus of control, self-esteem, stability of self-image, depression, and anxiety; social network; employment; generational change; current life conditions and stresses; social service institutions; nutrition; life events; coping; discrimination; six observations of the child; interviews on parenting with mothers and consenting fathers; and interviews with the children on their relationships with their parent(s). The Murray Archive holds additional analogue materials for this study (copies of all original record paper data, including child observations and parenting interviews). If you would like to access this material, please apply to use the data. Note: Paper Data box 8 of 8 is marked confidential and is not available for public access.

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, 27.4 percent of Hispanic families with a single mother were living below the poverty level in the United States. While this poverty rate has dropped significantly since the 1990's, it is still much higher than white, non-Hispanic single mother households.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 2021, roughly ******* children living with single mothers who never married were receiving public assistance in the U.S. Comparatively, there were around ****** children of widowed mothers receiving public assistance.

Sociodemographic profile stratified by sex of the reference person according to national surveys.

This paper examines the association between the Great Recession and real assets among families with young children. Real assets such as homes and cars are key indicators of economic well-being that may be especially valuable to low-income families. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,898), we investigate the association between the city unemployment rate and home and car ownership and how the relationship varies by family structure (married, cohabiting, and single parents) and by race/ethnicity (White, Black, and Hispanic mothers). Using mother fixed-effects models, we find that a one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate is associated with a -0.5 percentage point decline in the probability of home ownership and a -0.7 percentage point decline in the probability of car ownership. We also find that the recession was associated with lower levels of home ownership for cohabiting families and for Hispanic families, as well as lower car ownership among single mothers and among Black mothers, whereas no change was observed among married families or White households. Considering that homes and cars are the most important assets among middle and low-income households in the U.S., these results suggest that the rise in the unemployment rate during the Great Recession may have increased household asset inequality across family structures and race/ethnicities, limiting economic mobility, and exacerbating the cycle of poverty.

Descriptive statistics and correlations for children’s and parents’ measures.

N/A = not applicable; N/R = not recorded.1T relates to a telephone interview; no letter refers to a face to face interview.2Mother/father relates to those who have older children (who may/may not be currently pregnant); mother* relates to women who have older children and who are pregnant; Woman/man relates to those who are pregnant/expecting first child.31 - Participant married/living together/in a relationship; 2– Single/divorced.41 - White; 2 - Black or Minority Ethnic classifications (BME).51- Degree level qualification; 2 - A level or equivalent; 3 - GCSE/NVQ or equivalent; 4 - No formal qualifications; 5- Not recorded.61 – Never smoked; 2 – Quit during pregnancy; 3 – Cut down during pregnancy; 4 – Quit prior to pregnancy; 5 – Currently smoking.7Code relates to women who are currently pregnant: 1 – Plan to breastfed; 2 – Plan to mixed feed; 3 – Plan to formula feed.8Code relates to families with older children/interviewed in post-natal period: 1 – Previous experience of breastfeeding; 2 – Never breastfed.9SC – experience of smoking cessation incentive intervention; BF – experience of breastfeeding incentive intervention; ‘Other’ relates to those involved in Barnardo’s Early Years Early Action Fund; http://www.barnardos.org.uk/media_centre/press_releases.htm?ref=81644).10Mothers participated in an ante-natal and post-natal interview.Interviews - mothers/partners/other family members.

In 2023, around 85 percent of infants in the United States were being breastfed at discharge from the hospital, highlighting a strong trend towards early breastfeeding. This statistic shows select medical and health characteristics of mothers during pregnancy and birth in the United States in 2023.

Maternal health and birth characteristics The data reveals that 59.7 percent of delivering mothers in the U.S. were overweight or obese in 2023, a concerning statistic for maternal health. Additionally, 32.3 percent of births were via cesarean delivery, while only 1.5 percent were home births. Home birth rates vary by state, with Idaho having the highest at 4.7 percent. Despite the low overall rate of home births, some women choose this option for reasons including less medical intervention, location preference, cost, and cultural or religious factors. Declining birth rates and changing demographics The overall birth rate in the United States has been steadily declining over the past few decades. In 2022, there were 11 births per 1,000 population, down from 16.7 in 1990. This decline is influenced by various factors, including financial concerns and increased focus on careers among women. Interestingly, birth rates vary significantly across different ethnic groups, with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women having the highest birth rates, while Asian and white women have the lowest.

In 2022, about 44.3 percent of Black women were childless in the United States. A little less than half of all women in the United States were childless in that year, coming in at 46.9 percent of the female population.