Interracial Marriage Statistics

17% of married couples today are interracial. This wasn't the case just 50 years ago, though. Richard and Mildred Loving helped make it possible with their sacrifice and willingness to fight.

Courtesy of Tullio Saba via Flickr

Interracial Marriage

• How many new marriages are interracial today?
  The number of interracial marriages has increased 5 times since 1967. Today, approximately 17% of married couples are interracial.

• How many couples that are still married today are interracial?
  1 out of 10 every married people, or 11 million people, are married to someone of a different race than themselves.

• What percentage of African Americans marry someone of a different race?
  18 % of African Americans marry someone of a different race. This is 13% higher than in 1980, when only 5% of African Americans married someone from a different race.

• What percentage of whites marry someone of a different race?
  11 % of white people marry someone of a different race today, compared to 4% in 1980.

• What percentage of Asians marry someone of a different race?
  People of Asian descent are the most likely to marry someone from a different race, as 29% of Asians today marry outside their ethnicity.

• What percentage of Hispanics marry someone of a different race?
  Hispanics come in second as the most likely to marry outside their ethnicity. 27% of Hispanics today are married to someone outside their race.

• What is the most common racial pairing today among newlywed couples?
  Today , the most common interracial pairing is one Hispanic spouse and one white spouse. This combination makes up 42% of interracial marriages today.

• Which state has the highest number of interracial newlyweds?
  Hawaii has the largest number of interracial newlyweds today. 42% of newlyweds in Honolulu are mixed race. The next city with the largest number of interracial marriages is Las Vegas, with 31% of married couples being interracial.

• When did the ban on interracial marriage end?
  The ban on interracial marriage ended with the decision of Loving vs Virginia on June 2, 1967.

• What percentage of recently married black men have a spouse of a different race?
  African American men have a higher likelihood of marrying outside their race. Men marry someone of another race 24% of the time.

• What percentage of recently married black women have a spouse of a different race?
  African American women are less likely to marry outside of their race. Women marry someone of another race approximately 12% of the time.

• What percentage of nonblack adults oppose a relative marrying a black person today?
  Today 's society is much more accepting of interracial marriage. Just a little more than 25 years ago, 63% of nonblack adults opposed interracial marriage. Today, that number is only 14%.

• What percentage of people with just a high school diploma marry someone from a different race?
  14 % of people with just a high school diploma and no college marry outside of their race.

• What percentage of people with a college degree marry someone from a different race?
  19 % of people with a bachelor's degree marry someone from a race other than their own.

Miscellaneous Facts

• How many infants today are biracial?
  Today , 14% of infants are biracial. This is 9% higher than the 5% of biracial infants in 1980.

• What percentage of the population is biracial?
  According to a study conducted by Pew Research, 6.9% of the adult population is biracial. This is slightly elevated from the estimate provide by the Census Bureau, but the study takes into account the heritage of each adult, not just their self-reported race.

• What is the racial breakdown of the U.S. population?
  As of the latest census, the racial breakdown in the U.S. is as follows:
  • White: 76.9%
    
  • African American: 13.3%
    
  • American Indian: 1.3%
    
  • Asian: 5.7%
    
  • Native Hawaiian: 0.2%
    
  • More than 2 races: 2.6%

• What percent of interracial couples end up in divorce?
  Approximately 41% of mixed race couples end up in divorce within the first 10 years of marriage.

• What percent of same-race couples end up in divorce?
  Approximately 31% of same-race couples end up in divorce after 10 years.

• Who was the first interracial couple?
  Mildred and Richard Loving were the first white man and African American woman to marry despite the law against interracial marriage. As a result, they both spent time in jail and were forced from their home state of Virginia, seeking refuge in Washington.

• What is Loving Day?
  Loving Day is celebrated on June 12th every year and signifies the day the Supreme Court overruled the ban on interracial marriage.

• How long were the Lovings married?
  The Lovings were married for 17 years before Richard was tragically killed in a car accident in 1975.

The Bottom Line

Interracial marriage is much more common today than ever before. The Lovings paved the way for many couples to enjoy their love in peace.

Sources and References:

• Pew Research
  
• U.S. Supreme Court
  
• Census Bureau
  
• National Council on Family Relations
  
• PBS
  
• Loving Day