Data Source:  Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services

According to the Wisconsin Births and Infant Deaths, 2005 report released in September, 2006 by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, out-of-wedlock births in Kenosha County reached a new high in 2005.  There were 816 births to unmarried mothers last year.  This was the third year in a row out-of-wedlock births increased in the County rising from 678 in 2002, to 721 in 2003, to 753 in 2004, to 816 in 2005.  Over the last three years, the number of out-of-wedlock births have increased by 20%.

 As a percentage of total births to Kenosha County residents, out-of-wedlock births represented 38% of all County births in 2005.  This was up from 32% in 2002, 33% in 2003 and 35% in 2004.  Statewide, out-of-wedlock births were 33% of all Wisconsin births in 2005.  Wisconsin out-of wedlock birth percentages have also increased over the last four years: 30% in 2002; 31% in 2003; 32% in 2004 and 33% in 2005.

The graph above with marriage and divorce data shows that the number of out-of-wedlock births was higher for the first time than the number of marriages in Kenosha County last year.  The graph also shows that while the number of marriages in the county have been declining, the number of divorces and out-of-wedlock births have been increasing at a very rapid rate.