Were you living with both your own mother and father around the time you were 16? (IF NO: With whom were you living around that time?) (IF R. MARRIED OR LEFT HOME BY AGE 16, PROBE "BEFORE THAT.") A. IF NOT LIVING WITH BOTH OWN MOTHER AND FATHER: What happened?
Reason not living with both parents at 16 · Asked in 34 waves, 1973–2024 · 19,446 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → web (2021).
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Social Survey 2024 | 2024-04-05 to 2024-12-02 | mixed | 3,309 | 553 |
| General Social Survey 2022 | 2022-05-08 to 2023-01-08 | mixed | 3,544 | 594 |
| General Social Survey 2021 | 2020-12-03 to 2021-05-02 | web | 4,032 | 256 |
| General Social Survey 2018 | 2018-04-12 to 2018-11-10 | face to face | 2,348 | 849 |
| General Social Survey 2016 | 2016-04-05 to 2016-11-19 | face to face | 2,867 | 1,022 |
| General Social Survey 2014 | 2014-03-31 to 2014-10-13 | face to face | 2,538 | 866 |
| General Social Survey 2012 | 2012-03-20 to 2012-09-05 | face to face | 1,974 | 671 |
| General Social Survey 2010 | 2010-03-15 to 2010-08-12 | face to face | 2,044 | 686 |
| General Social Survey 2008 | 2008-04-17 to 2008-09-13 | face to face | 2,023 | 648 |
| General Social Survey 2006 | 2006-03-07 to 2006-08-07 |
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → web (2021).
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| Group | One or both parents died | Parents divorced or separated | Father absent in armed forces | One or both parents in institution | Other | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 18% | 67% | 0% | 3% | 12% | 553 | ±6 | |
| Democrats | 22% | 62% | 2% | 5% | 9% | 171 | ±11 | |
| Independents (incl. leaners) | 13% | 71% | – | 2% | 14% | 257 | ±8 | |
| Republicans | 23% | 67% | – | 2% | 8% | 107 | ±13 |
General Social Survey 2024 · US adults 18+ living in households (English, and Spanish since 2006). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| face to face |
| 4,510 |
| 907 |
| General Social Survey 2004 | 2004-08-18 to 2005-01-04 | face to face | 2,812 | 845 |
| General Social Survey 2002 | 2002-02-06 to 2002-06-26 | face to face | 2,765 | 904 |
| General Social Survey 2000 | 2000-02-01 to 2000-06-25 | face to face | 2,817 | 881 |
| General Social Survey 1998 | 1998-02-01 to 1998-06-19 | face to face | 2,832 | 873 |
| General Social Survey 1996 | 1996-02-01 to 1996-05-25 | face to face | 2,904 | 892 |
| General Social Survey 1994 | 1994-01-04 to 1994-06-29 | face to face | 2,992 | 891 |
| General Social Survey 1993 | 1993-02-05 to 1993-04-26 | face to face | 1,606 | 414 |
| General Social Survey 1991 | 1991-02-09 to 1991-05-06 | face to face | 1,517 | 415 |
| General Social Survey 1990 | 1990-02-06 to 1990-04-22 | face to face | 1,372 | 380 |
| General Social Survey 1989 | 1989-02-04 to 1989-05-01 | face to face | 1,537 | 384 |
| General Social Survey 1988 | 1988-02-12 to 1988-04-26 | face to face | 1,481 | 409 |
| General Social Survey 1987 | 1987-01-31 to 1987-04-28 | face to face | 1,819 | 503 |
| General Social Survey 1986 | 1986-02-14 to 1986-04-24 | face to face | 1,470 | 388 |
| General Social Survey 1985 | 1985-02-09 to 1985-04-23 | face to face | 1,534 | 374 |
| General Social Survey 1984 | 1984-02-06 to 1984-04-20 | face to face | 1,473 | 373 |
| General Social Survey 1983 | 1983-02-23 to 1983-04-27 | face to face | 1,599 | 374 |
| General Social Survey 1982 | 1982-02-11 to 1982-04-27 | face to face | 1,860 | 526 |
| General Social Survey 1980 | 1980-01-18 to 1980-05-16 | face to face | 1,468 | 398 |
| General Social Survey 1978 | 1978-02-13 to 1978-04-29 | face to face | 1,532 | 375 |
| General Social Survey 1977 | 1977-02-09 to 1977-04-24 | face to face | 1,530 | 397 |
| General Social Survey 1976 | 1976-02-28 to 1976-05-29 | face to face | 1,499 | 360 |
| General Social Survey 1975 | 1975-02-28 to 1975-05-15 | face to face | 1,490 | 350 |
| General Social Survey 1974 | 1974 | face to face | 1,484 | 358 |
| General Social Survey 1973 | 1973 | face to face | 1,504 | 330 |