WASHINGTON — Fewer than half of children under 18 live in a home with two married, heterosexual parents who in their first marriage, a new analysis by the Pew Research Center finds.
The analysis of census data finds that 46 percent live in what was long considered the traditional family.
In 1960, 73 percent of kids lived in the traditional family. And, in 1980, 61 percent did.
According to the analysis, 15 percent of children live with two parents who are in a remarriage.
It’s hard in the census data to identify step-children, so it’s not known if the 15 percent were born after couples remarried or if they are from another marriage.
Forty one percent of children today are born outside of marriage, up 5 percent from 1960.
One major shift in the family structure deals with children who live with an unmarried parent.
Today it is 34 percent. In 1980, it was 19 percent and in 1960, 9 percent. In most cases, these unmarried parents are single.
