Stepfamilies Make Up 25% Of U.S. Families

Latinos are less likely than African-Americans and more likely than whites to be a part of a stepfamily, according to recent research from the Pew Center. On most measures Latinos fit squarely between blacks and whites, here’s an excerpt from the report:

Among the 2,691 adults surveyed by the Pew Research Center from Oct. 1-21, 2010, 42% say they have at least one step relative. Three-in-ten have a step or half sibling, 18% have a living stepparent, and 13% have at least one stepchild.

When it came to Latinos, the breakdown was as follows: 46% had a step-relative, 38% had a step- or half-sibling, 18% had a step-parent and only 8% had a step-child. The numbers are interesting, I think, because if 38% have step/half-siblings but only 8% have step-children, it means that somehow Latinos in stepfamilies make up the difference.

Either they consider their spouses’ children to be their own, wait until their children are grown to remarry or tend to divorce before they have children. Interesting findings, especially as this trend seems to be growing in the U.S., what do you think?