Fatherlessness is a growing problem in the US, and research shows that a father-absent childhood can significantly affect the children’s perception of life, as well as their life choices later on.
Last year was not easy for any of us, and the weight and anxiety it brought placed significant stress on families everywhere. Unfortunately, some of it inevitably leads to the breaking of families, which will have its first consequences in 2022.
Statistics on fatherless homes show that households with absent fathers also have a higher chance of being under the poverty line. In short, the absence of a father in a family can lead to serious consequences and even fatal outcomes, and these are just a few examples to show how grim the issue can be.
Top Ten Facts and Statistics on Fatherless Homes for 2022:
- There are 1.8 million “solo” dads in the US.
- Statistics on absent fathers show that 7 million American dads were absent from the life of all their minor children.
- Divorces are one of the leading causes of fatherless homes.
- When it comes to the importance of fathers, statistics can help determine how children see school and education.
- Father absence statistics show that adolescent women from fatherless homes have a higher chance of getting pregnant.
- According to the statistics of fatherless homes, 17.4 million children lived in fatherless homes.
- Fatherlessness stats may be linked to higher rates of suicide in high school students.
- Children from single-parent homes participate in more government nutrition, education, etc. programs.
- Fatherlessness may be linked to lower educational levels of African American girls.
- According to the Department of Justice, statistics on parents in prison show that the number of incarcerated fathers in the US grew significantly in the period from 1991 to 2007.
Absentee Father Statistics to Keep in Mind
If you live in a happy family or at least know both of your parents, you may not even have the idea of how privileged you are. Millions of children worldwide never called anyone ‘dad’ and these are just some of the numbers to paint a clearer picture.
1. According to the statistics of fatherless homes, 17.4 million children lived in fatherless homes.
(Census Bureau) (Fatherhood.org)
This amounted to almost a quarter of all American children — more precisely, 23.6%. In 2017, the number of fatherless homes in America had increased, with 19.7 million children living without a father, which is more than one in four.
2. As of 2019, a quarter of the 121 million men living in the US are biological fathers to at least one kid who’s under the age of 18.
(Census Bureau)
About four out of five of those fathers live with at least some of those underage children (79.8%), while around three-quarters, or 72,6%, live with all of their children. This still leaves many children in fatherless homes, as statistics prove.
3. Statistics on absent fathers show that 7 million American dads were absent from the life of all their minor children.
(Census Bureau)
That means about 20.2% of these men don’t take part in parenting their biological children.
4. There are 1.8 million “solo” dads in the US.
(Census Bureau)
Roughly about 6% of the fathers in the US live with their minor child without a partner or a spouse.
5. Statistics on fatherless homes indicate that many of these families in the US live in poverty.
(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
Female-led homes with no spouse present had an alarming poverty rate of 47.6% in 2011 — more than four times the rate for kids living in families where both parents are present.
6. Divorces are one of the leading causes of fatherless homes.
(Fathers.com)
The gathered data shows that the second leading cause is out-of-wedlock births. For example, in 2008, 40.6% of all newborns were born to parents who weren’t married.
Present vs Absent Fathers Statistics
There are some differences here, but you might be surprised at how similar effects they have on children. Here is how these two categories compare and differ:
7. Statistics on fatherlessness show that absent and “solo” dads may not be as different as they seem.
(Census Bureau)
Some would suggest that fathers who raise their children by themselves are opposites to those who have little to do with parenting altogether. However, according to the census data, both categories are more likely to never have been married and to still be living with their parents.
More precisely, when talking about “solo” and absent dads in the US, around 30% of both categories have never married compared to only 14% of all fathers of underage kids. Also, 22% of “solo” fathers and 24% of absent fathers live with one or both parents. This is only prevalent in 10% of instances regarding all fathers.
8. Fatherless homes statistics suggest that some fathers became “solo” or absent due to particular circumstances that they couldn’t control.
(Census Bureau)
When looking at these stats, about 7% of absent dads and 5% of “solo” fathers were married at some point, but their spouse doesn’t live at the same place anymore. This is the case with less than 2% of all dads in the US when looking at the overall data.
To find out more about relationship facts, feel free to read this article.
9. Around 5% of absent dads had lived in the same home with their children at some point during the year before the survey.
(Census Bureau)
Fatherlessness statistics also show that 42% of these dads had either visited or had contact with their children once a month. In contrast, 12% of “solo” fathers lived with their children and spouse at some point during the previous year.
These figures suggest that nearly half of these absent dads are or may still be involved in their children’s lives more than it appears and that a certain percentage of these “solo” fathers live a less solitary lifestyle than it might seem at first glance.
10. Based on the fatherhood statistics, 30% of absent dads have gone through a divorce.
(Census Bureau)
Fatherhood statistics show that the representatives of both of these categories have fewer kids, are less likely to have a higher education, or to have a job.
Also, they are more likely to be divorced, with 51% “solo” and 30% of absent dads having gone through a divorce. When looking at all the fathers included in the research, this figure is only 10%.
And for more stats on dating and marriage, you may find these articles handy.
Health Risks and Consequences in Fatherless Children — Statistics and Facts
No matter how much single mothers around the world work on making their children feel loved and safe, not having a father figure seems to influence their kids more than they expect. These consequences show in the children’s health and different aspects of their lives and social behavior.
11. Fatherlessness statistics show that fatherlessness is linked to the increased risk of infant mortality.
(National Library of Medicine)
A study on 1,397,801 infants born between 1998 and 2005 in Florida focused on how the absence of a father can impact infant mortality in ethnic minorities. At the end of the study, lower birth weights and earlier births were both linked to the lack of involvement of the dads.
Researchers also concluded that the absence of a father could impact infant mortality, with the first 28 days being crucial. In this period, mortality was four times more likely in African-American infants whose fathers were absent than in Caucasian infants with absent fathers.
12. Father absence statistics show that adolescent women from fatherless homes have a higher chance of getting pregnant.
(National Library of Medicine)
According to a 2012 study, fatherless homes and teenage pregnancy might be connected. The research included 263 adolescent women (aged 13-18) seeking psychological help. It showed that young women who come from homes where the father is absent are 3.5 times more likely to get pregnant than adolescent women from father-present households.
Also, pregnancy was prevalent in 17.4% of cases in fatherless homes, which is much higher than the estimated 4% in the sample of the adolescent population in the US in 2009.
13. Fatherlessness stats may be linked to higher rates of suicide in high school students.
(Wiley Online Library)
A study on social-ecological variables and suicidal behavior found that among 1,618 Latina high school students, the lower overall parental caring and lower perceived father support can both be predictors of suicidal behavior and thoughts.
14. Statistics on fatherhood suggest that the lack of interaction between fathers and infants can forecast behavioral issues later in life.
(National Library of Medicine)
The longitudinal cohort study found that from as early as age one, kids may express negative behaviors as a result of not having enough interaction with their fathers.
15. Secondary data suggest that father absence may increase the likelihood of young men engaging in criminal activities.
(Sage Journals)
When talking about fatherless children, crime statistics, and research on young men participating in criminal activities has found a link. By studying a sample of 835 juvenile inmates, researchers have found that fatherlessness was these children’s only disadvantage compared to others on an individual level.
Professionals found that juveniles from fatherless homes are 279% more likely to carry guns and participate in drug trafficking than those who live with their fathers.
16. Fatherlessness may be linked to lower educational levels of African American girls.
(Wiley Online Library)
When taking a better look at statistics of fatherless homes by race, researchers have found a connection between the lower levels of education in African American girls and fatherlessness.
Experts concluded that this was true for 532 study subjects, and they’ve also discovered that the father’s absence can lead to a lower income and economic stress in a family.
17. When it comes to the importance of fathers, statistics can help determine how children see school and education.
(ResearchGate)
Those children who have experienced ambivalence or avoidance with their fathers garnered negative thoughts and attitudes regarding their teachers and school in general.
In contrast, kids who had a good relationship with their fathers also had a more positive self-concept regarding academics as well as better social and emotional skills.
18. Father-involvement has a significant impact on children’s health and academic performance.
(National Library of Medicine)
Researchers further examining the fatherless homes statistics have concluded that the involvement of the father is linked to positive outcomes in child behavior, cognitive capabilities, and overall development.
It improves weight gain rates in preterm infants, helps improve breastfeeding, and can lead to better language skills and greater academic success later in life.
19. According to the Department of Justice, statistics on parents in prison show that the number of incarcerated fathers in the US grew significantly in the period from 1991 to 2007.
(Bureau of Justice Statistics)
More precisely, data show that the number of incarcerated fathers in the US had grown by a whopping 79%. Among their children, nearly half were African American (46%).
20. Children from single-parent homes participate in more government nutrition, education, etc. programs.
(The One Hundred Billion Dollar Man)
Statistics of fatherless children also show that around 55.2% of children who are a part of the WIC program are single-mother-raised. This participation is 48.2% for the Head Start services. Statistics also show that female-headed households account for nearly 37% of public assistance housing programs and Section 8 housing programs.
FAQ
What percentage of criminals are from single-parent homes?
Even though pinpointing the exact percentage of criminals coming from single-parent homes is difficult, most professionals agree that the majority of inmates come from fatherless homes. Some studies suggest that nearly 70% of inmates did not grow up with both parents living in the same home in the US.
However, getting the exact data is rather difficult since the Bureau of Justice doesn’t track the inmates’ family backgrounds. Moreover, a 1994 study found that only 13% of juveniles in Wisconsin grew up with married parents.
(Family Inequality)(Survey of Youth in Custody)(The Morning Call)(Family Status of Delinquents in Juvenile Correctional Facilities in Wisconsin)
What are the effects of not having a father in your life?
According to professional research, growing up without one parent (in this case, the father) can permanently alter the brain’s structure.
Canadian scientists believe that the absence of fathers usually affects girls more than boys, and can make these children more aggressive. They are also more likely to be depressed, have low self-esteem, be poor learners, turn to drugs, and, in some cases, even commit suicide.
(The Daily Mail) (Owlcation)
Does growing up without a father affect you?
By looking at the previous question and answer, it is clear that scientists see a connection between certain behavioral patterns and growing up without a father. They’ve concluded that it has such a significant impact on children, it may even alter their brain structure and chemistry.
(The Daily Mail)
Conclusion
By looking at these figures, it can be concluded that growing up without one parent can have a wide variety of negative effects on children, increasing the likelihood of them turning to crime and having a lower quality of life in general.
Furthermore, these statistics on fatherless homes raise a couple of other, equally alarming questions regarding other important topics like income inequality, poverty, the efficiency of the education system (more precisely, sexual education), and crime. As such, fatherlessness and single-parenting should be a major concern for all of us to deal with in 2022.
Sources:
- Bureau of Justice Statistics
- Census Bureau
- Census Bureau
- Family Inequality
- Family Status of Delinquents in Juvenile Correctional Facilities in Wisconsin
- Fathers.com
- National Library of Medicine
- National Library of Medicine
- National Library of Medicine
- Owlcation
- ResearchGate
- Sage Journals
- Survey of Youth in Custody
- The Daily Mail
- The Morning Call
- The One Hundred Billion Dollar Man
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Wiley Online Library
- Wiley Online Library
