A new analysis from Pew Research Center, “The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years,” shows dramatic shifts in American family life.
The share of adults who are married has dropped from 69% in 1970 to 50% today, with steeper declines among those without a four-year college degree. Meanwhile, the number of adults over 50 who have never married has risen, particularly among Black Americans, where the share has tripled.
Fertility has also declined, with women ages 40 to 44 now averaging about two children, down from three in the 1970s. Children are increasingly less likely to live with two married parents, though multigenerational households are becoming more common.
These trends point to challenges for family stability and highlight the need for policies and cultural support that strengthen marriage, childbearing, and the family unit across all communities.
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