Data Underload  /  , ,

More Dual Income, No Kids

By Nathan Yau

People are waiting longer to have kids or not having kids at all, which leads to more dual income households with no kids. This is the breakdown between 1980 to 2022, among married couple households.

SINGLE INCOME

DUAL INCOME

3 OR MORE INCOMES

DINKs grow more common.

1 earner, 0 kids

2 earners, 0 kids

3+ earners, 0 kids

2.4%

42%

4%

2.2%

40%

NO KIDS

2.0%

38%

3%

1.8%

36%

1.6%

34%

2%

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1 earner, 1 kid

2 earners, 1 kid

3+ earners, 1 kid

10%

12%

2.0%

9%

ONE KID

1.6%

11%

8%

1.2%

10%

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1 earner, 2 kids

2 earners, 2 kids

+3 earners, 2 kids

14%

8.0%

2.4%

7.5%

13%

TWO KIDS

2.0%

7.0%

12%

6.5%

1.6%

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1 earner, 3 kids

2 earners, 3 kids

3+ earners, 3 kids

1.4%

4.5%

5.0%

1.2%

4.0%

THREE KIDS

3.5%

4.6%

1.0%

3.0%

4.2%

0.8%

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1 earner, 4 kids

2 earners, 4 kids

3+ earners, 4 kids

1.4%

2.0%

0.5%

1.3%

1.5%

FOUR KIDS

0.4%

1.2%

1.0%

1.1%

0.3%

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1 earner, 5+ kids

2 earners, 5+ kids

3+ earners, 5+ kids

1.4%

0.25%

1.2%

0.5%

FIVE OR

MORE KIDS

1.0%

0.20%

0.8%

0.4%

0.6%

0.15%

0.4%

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

1980

1990

2000

2010

2022

SOURCE: CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY / BY: FLOWINGDATA

SINGLE INCOME

DUAL INCOME

3+ INCOMES

DINKs grow more common.

1 earner, 0 kids

2 earners, 0 kids

3+ earners, 0 kids

2.4%

42%

4%

2.0%

38%

3%

1.6%

34%

2%

1980

2022

1980

2022

1980

2022

1 earner, 1 kid

2 earners, 1 kid

3+ earners, 1 kid

10%

12%

2.0%

9%

1.6%

11%

8%

1.2%

10%

1980

2022

1980

2022

1980

2022

1 earner, 2 kids

2 earners, 2 kids

+3 earners, 2 kids

14%

8.0%

2.4%

7.5%

13%

2.0%

7.0%

12%

6.5%

1.6%

1980

2022

1980

2022

1980

2022

1 earner, 3 kids

2 earners, 3 kids

3+ earners, 3 kids

1.4%

4.5%

5.0%

1.2%

4.0%

3.5%

4.6%

1.0%

3.0%

4.2%

0.8%

1980

2022

1980

2022

1980

2022

1 earner, 4 kids

2 earners, 4 kids

3+ earners, 4 kids

1.4%

2.0%

0.5%

1.3%

1.5%

0.4%

1.2%

1.0%

1.1%

0.3%

1980

2022

1980

2022

1980

2022

1 earner, 5+ kids

2 earners, 5+ kids

3+ earners, 5+ kids

.25%

1.2%

0.5%

.20%

0.8%

0.4%

.15%

0.4%

1980

2022

1980

2022

1980

2022

SOURCE: CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY / BY: FLOWINGDATA

I expected the patterns to be a little less one-sided, but dual income, no kids is clearly the most common and seems to be headed towards half of households with married couples.

Obvious next question: what about single people with and without kids?

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