43.5 million moms: Summing up Mother's Day by the numbers

43.5 million moms: Summing up Mother’s Day by the numbers

A floral designer places a rose into a Mother’s Day arrangement. About 43.5 million women between the ages of 15 and 50 have children, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

May 10, 2015 4:30 AM PT

More highly educated women are becoming moms, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.

Childlessness among American women in their early 40s who have at least a master's degree is at its lowest point in a decade, the study said. Just 22% of women in that group have no children, down from 30% in 1994.

And not only are highly educated women more likely to have children, they are having more children. Among women with at least a master's degree, about 60% have two or more children, up from 51% in 1994.

Pew's conclusion: More women feel a career and motherhood are no longer mutually exclusive. Though difficult, the delicate balance between the two has become a daily challenge instead of an insurmountable struggle.

Here are some more facts about moms:

43.5 million

Number of women between the ages of 15 and 50 who have children. These mothers gave birth to 95.8 million children.

62.5

Number of births per 1,000 women age 15-44 in 2013, down 1% from 2012.

3.932 million

The number of registered births in 2013.

85.2%

Percentage of women age 15 to 50 who gave birth in the past year who have at least a high school diploma.

5.2 million

Number of stay-at-home moms in married couples in 2014.

9.9 million

The number of single mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2014, up from 3.4 million in 1970.

Unknown

Children who don't call Mom often enough. We don't have any statistics, but you know who you are.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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Sarah Parvini

Sarah Parvini was a reporter at the Los Angeles Times from 2014 to 2024. She most recently covered the video game industry and previously wrote about California’s diverse communities, with a focus on the state’s shifting demographics. She was part of the team that won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack, as well as a member of the investigative unit that uncovered scandals at USC’s medical school. The child of immigrants, she speaks fluent Persian and conversational Spanish.