Single motherhood is nothing new — unmarried women have been raising children since the dawn of time. What is new is that single moms in the United States have (in a very short period) changed from being a largely poor and undedicated minority, to an increasingly affluent mainstream group of 10 million women. Today, more than 40 percent of U.S. babies are born to unmarried women, more than double that number in 1980. The majority of single moms in 2016 are college-educated, and their average income (adjusted for inflation) has more than doubled since 1960. As U.S. women overall are more educated and affluent and attitudes about family and marriage change, single motherhood is projected to grow in scope and acceptance.
For more information about Today’s Single Mom, take a look at this infographic by Emma Johnson in partnership with BBVA Compass.
