Pew study finds a change in US family structure since 1970

Michie · Sep 23, 2023

More Americans than ever are raising children while unmarried, or cohabitatating without children, while fewer are considering marriage at all.

Anew report from Pew Research Center is examining the American family and how it’s changed since the mid-20th century. Among their findings, Pew found Americans have made a marked departure from the traditional family structure, while their views of marriage and family have turned towards the pessimistic.

Comparing recent data taken in 2021 to surveys of 1970, Pew discovered that the share of Americans aged 25-49 who are married with children has fallen by 30%, from 67% in 1970 to 37% in 2021. Along with this drop in adults living with their spouses and kids, it was observed that the portion of unmarried parents raising children has risen. The portion of Americans who are unmarried with children rose from 4% to 6% in the last 5 decades, while unmarried couples who cohabitate with children rose from virtually 0% to 5%.

Furthermore, the survey also found that the percentage of married couples who do not have children has also risen by 3% since 1970, to 21%; however, this figure was highest in 1990, at 23%. Unmarried couples cohabitating without children is another living arrangement that virtually did not exist in 1970, but today it accounts for 7% of Americans. Young married couples living with older relatives have also more than doubled, from 5% in 1970 to 11% in 2021.

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