Bastards, Worldwide

Across much of the world, long-standing norms around marriage and family formation are changing.

In many countries, having children outside of marriage has become increasingly common, while in others it remains rare.

This visualization, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, shows countries ranked by the share of children born outside of marriage using the latest available data from the OECD Family Database.

Latin America Leads by a Wide Margin

Colombia leads with 87% of children born outside marriage, followed by Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico—all above 70%.

In much of the region, cohabitation has long been socially accepted and legally recognized, reducing the importance of formal marriage. Historical inequality and lower access to legal institutions have also played a role in shaping these patterns over time.

Nordic Countries Redefine Family Norms

Several Nordic countries also report high shares of non-marital births, including Iceland (69%), Norway (61%), Sweden (58%), and Denmark (55%).

Unlike Latin America, these trends are closely tied to strong welfare states and legal protections for children regardless of parents’ marital status. Cohabiting couples often enjoy rights similar to married ones, making marriage a personal choice rather than an economic necessity.

Lower Rates Persist in Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean

At the other end of the spectrum are countries such as Japan (2.4%), Korea (4.7%), Türkiye (3.1%), Israel (8.6%), and Greece (9.7%). In these societies, marriage remains closely linked to childbearing due to cultural expectations, religious traditions, and legal frameworks.

Social stigma and limited support for single parents further discourage having children outside of marriage.

Anglo and Western European Countries Sit in the Middle

Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and much of Western Europe fall between these extremes. Around 40% of children in the U.S. are born outside marriage, a similar share to Austria and Italy.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World Has Passed Peak Child on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.