WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A Pew Research Center report shows marriage across racial lines to be at an all-time high in the United States.
While in 1980, only 3 percent of all marriages were between two people of different ethnic backgrounds, as of 2010 they have risen to 8.4 percent of all marriages. Two years ago, 15.1 percent of all newlyweds were of different races.
The numbers also show that as these types of marriages have become more common, public attitudes have become more accepting. About four in every 10 Americans or 48 percent believe an increase in interracial marriages is a change for the better. However, one in 10 think it is a change for the worse.
The report is primarily based on the Pew Research Center's analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey in 2008-2010 and on findings from three of the center's own nationwide telephone surveys that explore public attitudes toward intermarriage.
