“National Singles Week” was started by the Buckeye Singles Council in Ohio in the 1980s to celebrate single life and recognize singles and their contributions to society. The week is now widely observed during the third full week of September, which is September 18-24 this year, as “Unmarried and Single Americans Week,” an acknowledgment that many unmarried Americans do not identify with the word “single” because they are parents, have partners or are widowed. Here are some facts about unmarried Americans, which includes those who were never married, widowed, or divorced, unless otherwise noted, from the U.S. Census Bureau:
- In 2010, there were 99.6 million unmarried people in America 18 and older. This group comprised 43.6 percent of all U.S. residents 18 and older.
- Of unmarried U.S. residents America 18 and older, 44.9 percent were women.
- Sixty one percent of unmarried U.S. residents 18 and older had never been married. Another 23.8 percent were divorced, and 14.4 percent were widowed.
- There were 11.7 million single parents living with their children in 2010. Of these, 9.9 million were single mothers and 1.8 million were single fathers.
- In 2009, there were 6.5 million unmarried-partner households. Of that number, 581,300 were same-sex households.
- In 2007, there were 393 dating service establishments nationwide. Those establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 3,125 people and generated $928 million in revenues.
- In the 2008 presidential election, 38 percent of voters were unmarried.