What is the main factor contributing to the rise in children living with solo or cohabiting parents?

The rise in children living with solo or cohabiting parents can be primarily attributed to the decline in marriages and the increase in divorce rates. Over recent decades, societal attitudes towards marriage have shifted, leading to more individuals choosing to delay marriage or forgo it altogether. Additionally, rising divorce rates have resulted in a greater number of children living with a single parent or within non-traditional family structures, such as cohabiting couples who may not be legally married.

This trend reflects broader changes in social norms and values regarding relationships and family life, where there is less stigma associated with single parenthood and cohabitation. The increase in individuals entering cohabiting relationships, often as an alternative to marriage, indicates a significant shift in family dynamics, contributing to the statistics regarding children raised in these types of households.

Other factors, such as immigration rates, financial security, and dual-income households, may influence family structures but do not address the specific trend of children living with solo or cohabiting parents as directly as the decline in marriages and rise in divorces do.