Percentage of women between the ages 40 and 44 who’ve had a biological child (2010):
In 1990, the percentage of women between the ages 40 and 44 who’d had a biological child:
Percentage of men between who’ve had a biological child by age 40 (2010):
Percent drop in the birth rate between 2007 and 2010:
Average age of a first-time mother in 1970:
Average age of a first-time mother in 2008:
Percentage of babies born to unmarried mothers in 1980:
Percentage of babies born to unmarried mothers in 2011:
Percentage of kids who were adopted (2000):
Number of kids in the foster care system awaiting placement with a family (2011):
Percentage of kids being raised in a two-parent home (2011):
Percentage of kids living in poverty (2011):
Percentage of married moms who stayed at home with their kids in 1969:
Percentage of married moms who stayed at home with their kids in 2010:
Percentage of dads who stayed at home with their kids in 2010:
Percentage of kids ages 0 to 4, who have a working mother and are enrolled in center-based child care (2010) :
Average cost per year for center-based child care in Massachusetts, the most expensive in the nation (2010):
Percentage of children between ages three and five who were read to every day in 2005:
Percentage of children between ages three and five who were read to every day in 2007:
Percentage of parents who believe it is okay to spank their children:
Percentage of parents who admit to spanking their children:
Percentage of parents who think it is okay for a grade-school teacher to spank a child:
(Click on the hyperlinks to see the sources for the statistics.)
This is part of a New Urban Habitat series: Snapshots of America:
- A Snapshot of Car-Usage in America
- A Snapshot of Education in America
- A Snapshot of Waste in America
- A Snapshot of Food in America
- A Snapshot of Time in America
Stína says
Wow – I can’t believe so many people are spanking their kids. I can honestly say I don’t know a single parent who does that. Or maybe they just don’t admit to it…
Abby Quillen says
Same here, Stina! Those three statistics came from an ABCNEWS poll of a random 1,015 parents. I’m always a little suspicious about the accuracy of polls, especially in the age of cell phones. But still, it’s pretty surprising.