FP-20-17 Women Who Gave Birth Within the Past 12 Months, 2018

The link between marriage and childbearing has become weaker over time (Hayford, Guzzo, & Smock, 2014). In fact, the share of births to unmarried women accounted for almost 40% of all births in 2018 (Martin et al., 2019). Using 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) data, this profile examines the demographic characteristics of currently married and unmarried women aged 15 to 50 who had a birth within the last 12 months. This profile is an update to FP-13-10

FP-20-21 Marriage: More than a Century of Change, 1900-2018

Although the U.S. marriage rate has dropped dramatically over the past few decades, the rate and magnitude of the decline varies across demographic groups. Using data from the National Vital Statistics, Decennial Censuses, and the American Community Survey, this profile charts marriage patterns since 1900 for women aged 15 and older. It also includes more detailed information disaggregated by race/ethnicity and educational attainment. This profile is an update of FP-18-17 and FP-13-13

FP-20-18 Median Age at First Divorce, 2018

The median age at first marriage has increased over the last few decades. In 1950, on average, women married at age 20 and men at age 22. By 2018, the average age had increased to 28 for women and 30 for men (FP-19-06). The counterpart to the median age at first marriage is the median age at first divorce, which has also risen despite overall declines in the U.S. divorce rate (FP-19-23). For more information on marriage and divorce rate trends, see FP-19-22 and FP-19-23. This profile uses the 2018 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates to examine the median age at first divorce for men and women by race/ethnicity and educational attainment, beginning with an overall trend figure comparing median ages at marriage and divorce for men and women. This profile is an update to FP-17-03