Statistics we cite
Every number published on singlemommeet, verified against a primary source. Each entry has a permalink — cite a single statistic by linking its anchor. Last verification: August 20, 2026.
A verified statistic is a figure traced to the organisation that published it, read on that organisation's own page, and quoted with the population it actually describes. A primary source is that publisher itself rather than an article about it — for example theU.S. Census Bureau page a household count came from, not a news story quoting it.
Population drift means restating a figure about one group as though it described a different one, such as turning a count of one-parent households into a count of single mothers. It is the failure this page exists to prevent, so each entry keeps the publisher's own wording. Figures we could not trace are named on thesources page instead of being dropped quietly.
- 9.8 million — The Current Population Survey counted 9.8 million one-parent households in the United States in 2023#
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2024) · verified August 20, 2026
- 7.3 million mother-only; 2.5 million father-only — Of the 9.8 million one-parent households counted in 2023, 7.3 million were mother-only and 2.5 million were father-only#
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2024) · verified August 20, 2026
- 51% never married; 29% divorced — Among mothers maintaining one-parent family groups in 2022, 51% had never married and 29% were divorced#
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2022) · verified August 20, 2026
- 21% (15.3 million) — In 2020, 15.3 million children under 18 — 21% — lived with their mother only#
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2021) · verified August 20, 2026
- 23% (worldwide 7%) — Almost a quarter of U.S. children under 18 — 23% — live with one parent and no other adults, more than three times the worldwide share of 7%#
- Source: Pew Research Center (2019) · verified August 20, 2026
- 30% — Three-in-ten U.S. adults say they have ever used a dating site or app#
- Source: Pew Research Center (2023) · verified August 20, 2026
- 53% under 30; 37% ages 30–49; 20% ages 50–64; 13% 65+ — 53% of U.S. adults under 30 have ever used a dating site or app, compared with 37% of those ages 30 to 49, 20% of those 50 to 64 and 13% of those 65 and older#
- Source: Pew Research Center (2023) · verified August 20, 2026
- 10% — One-in-ten partnered adults met their current significant other through a dating site or app#
- Source: Pew Research Center (2023) · verified August 20, 2026
- 52% vs 16% — 52% of U.S. adults who have never been married have used an online dating site or app, compared with 16% of married adults#
- Source: Pew Research Center (2023) · verified August 20, 2026
- 36% — 36% of single adults who are looking for a relationship say they probably or definitely would not consider a relationship with someone who is raising children from another relationship#
- Source: Pew Research Center (2020) · verified August 20, 2026
- 77% single parents; 65% parents and guardians; 55% non-parents — More than 77% of single parents classified as lonely, compared with 65% of parents and guardians overall and 55% of non-parents#
- Source: Cigna (Morning Consult survey), as cited in the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory (2021) · verified August 20, 2026
- 41% and 48% of parents; 20% and 26% of other adults — 41% of parents say that most days they are so stressed they cannot function, and 48% say that most days their stress is completely overwhelming, compared with 20% and 26% of other adults#
- Source: U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory 'Parents Under Pressure', citing the American Psychological Association's Stress in America survey (2024) · verified August 20, 2026
- 8.9% — In a 42-country study using the Parental Burnout Assessment, 8.9% of the U.S. parents surveyed scored above the burnout threshold#
- Source: Roskam and colleagues, Affective Science (2021) · verified August 20, 2026
Reuse: you may quote these figures with attribution and a link to this page or the primary source. Methodology: see the editorial policy.