40% of All Babies Born in U.S. Last Year Were to Unmarried Mothers, Data Shows
July 1, 2026
Despite positive recent trends for family stability, including increasing numbers of babies born to college-educated women who are married, the overall proportion of babies born to unwed mothers is not declining, according to a new data analysis.
The report, published Wednesday by Institute for Family Studies (IFS) Senior Fellow Nicholas Zill, pointed out that 40% of all births in the U.S. in 2025 were to unmarried women, amounting to 1,440,031 babies. While the proportion of unmarried births has not increased compared to previous years, it still remains concerningly high. Last year’s total “compares with 40% in 2022 and in 2023; 33% in 2000; and 32% in 1995,” Zill noted.
