Out of Wedlock Births by Country 2025
% of Births Born Out of Wedlock
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5 Countries with the Most Out of Wedlock Births
Country | % of Births Born Out of Wedlock↓ | Data Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Chile | 75.1% | 2019 |
 | Costa Rica | 72.5% | 2020 |
 | Mexico | 70.4% | 2020 |
 | Iceland | 69.4% | 2019 |
 | France | 62.2% | 2020 |
 | Bulgaria | 59.6% | 2020 |
 | Norway | 58.5% | 2020 |
 | Portugal | 57.9% | 2020 |
 | Slovenia | 56.5% | 2020 |
 | Sweden | 55.2% | 2020 |
 | Denmark | 54.2% | 2020 |
 | Estonia | 53.7% | 2019 |
 | Netherlands | 53.5% | 2020 |
 | Belgium | 52.4% | 2018 |
 | United Kingdom | 51.3% | 2021 |
 | New Zealand | 48.7% | 2021 |
 | Czech Republic | 48.5% | 2020 |
 | Spain | 47.6% | 2020 |
 | Finland | 46.1% | 2020 |
 | Luxembourg | 41.6% | 2020 |
 | Austria | 41.2% | 2020 |
 | Slovakia | 40.7% | 2020 |
 | United States | 40.5% | 2020 |
 | Latvia | 39.5% | 2020 |
 | Ireland | 38.4% | 2019 |
 | Australia | 36.5% | 2020 |
 | Italy | 33.8% | 2020 |
 | Germany | 33.1% | 2020 |
 | Canada | 32.7% | 2020 |
 | Romania | 32.5% | 2020 |
 | Hungary | 30.4% | 2020 |
 | Switzerland | 27.7% | 2020 |
 | Lithuania | 27% | 2020 |
 | Poland | 26.4% | 2020 |
 | Malta | 25.9% | 2012 |
 | Croatia | 22.8% | 2020 |
 | Cyprus | 21.2% | 2019 |
 | Greece | 13.8% | 2020 |
 | Israel | 8.1% | 2019 |
 | South Korea | 3% | 2021 |
 | Turkey | 2.8% | 2020 |
 | Japan | 2.4% | 2020 |
- Data indicate the percentage (%) of all live births by mother’s whose legal marital status at the time of birth is something other than married.
More than 700,000+ babies are born in the world each day. An increasing number of those children are born to unmarried parents, which is also know as being born out of wedlock. In the US, out of wedlock births were almost a taboo of sorts. Today, in a new age and new world, that view has changed, and so apparently has the view of out of wedlock births at home and abroad. In fact, a look at the out of wedlock births by country, and it becomes evident that marriage and baby-making are no longer synonymous.
Top 10 Countries with the Most Out of Wedlock Births
Country | % of Births Born Out of Wedlock |
|---|---|
| Chile | 75.1% |
| Costa Rica | 72.5% |
| Mexico | 70.4% |
| Iceland | 69.4% |
| France | 62.2% |
| Bulgaria | 59.6% |
| Norway | 58.5% |
| Portugal | 57.9% |
| Slovenia | 56.5% |
| Sweden | 55.2% |
50% of Children Born out of Wedlock
The number of children born out of wedlock is more than 50% in many countries, including Mexico, Iceland, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and many others.
These are not the highest reported numbers, however, as many other countries are experiencing an even significantly higher number of out of wedlock births. Chile and Costa Rica lead this list for 2019-2020 with 75.1% and 72.5% of children born out of wedlock, respectively. This is another sign of the modern times when so many children come from single-parent homes.
The good news for many of these single-parent families is that there is help and programs, not only in the US but in outreach programs and services around the world. Many of these programs and organizations provide clothing, food, and education for these families.
Although that doesn’t necessarily do much to stem the rising number of out of wedlock births by country, it is a sign of efforts made as a community and world to care for children. With so many people struggling around the globe in war-torn or third world civilizations, those numbers may not stop rising anytime soon.
The total number of our of wedlock births may be too big to ascertain, in addition to the barriers that may stand in the way of getting such information. It doesn’t take a math expert or scientist to recognize that with such a high percentage of out of wedlock births, the gross numbers must be considerable.
As children continue to enter the world, with or without one or both parents, hopefully they will find a planet that is accepting and that offers them the help, hope, and love they need to succeed. That should be true for every child, regardless of how many parents they have or where they come from.
