2.6 Million Single Fathers in the US

According to a new study conducted by Pew Research Center, the number of single dads in the US has risen dramatically since the 1960’s. But how is a single father defined? For the purposes of this research, a single father was determined to be a man who is not married as well as a man who doesn’t have a significant other living in their household. What the study found is that 1 in 4 single parents in the US is a single father. Many factors are responsible for the large number shift, but one is due to the fact of the decline in marriage. 41% of births in the US are now occurring outside of marriage. A quick Wall Street Journal clip about the study can be watched here: The Rise of Single Fathers

The number of single father households has increased about ninefold since 1960, from less than 300,000 to more than 2.6 million in 2011.1 In comparison, the number of single mother households increased more than fourfold during that time period, up to 8.6 million in 2011, from 1.9 million in 1960.

As a result, men make up a growing share of single parent householders.2 In 1960, about 14% of single parent households were headed by fathers, today almost one-quarter (24%) are.

There are some notable differences between single mothers and single fathers. Single fathers are more likely than single mothers to be living with a cohabiting partner (41% versus 16%). Single fathers, on average, have higher incomes than single mothers and are far less likely to be living at or below the poverty line—24% versus 43%. Single fathers are also somewhat less educated than single mothers, older and more likely to be white.

Compared with fathers heading households with two married parents, single dads are younger, less educated, less financially well-off and less likely to be white. To view the entire study, click here.