A record number of mothers are now the sole or primary breadwinners in American families, according to new census data that highlights the changing face and finances of US homes.
Women were the chief or only source of income in more than 40 per cent of households with children in 2011 - up from 11 per cent in 1960, according to the Pew Research Centre's analysis of US census bureau findings.
The surge in importance of the female money-earner reflects both the increase in single-mother families and a growing number of working mothers who now out-earn their male partners.
Of these two different groups, 5.1 million (37 per cent) are married women with children who earn more than their husbands, while 8.6 million (63 per cent) are single mothers.
"Women's roles have changed, marriage rates have declined - the family looks a lot different than it used to," said Kim Parker, associate director with the Pew Social and Demographic Trends Project.