Father’s Day by the numbers

Today is Father’s Day and while families are celebrating dads, grandpas and other figures in their lives, here are some statistics about the day and the roles they play in our lives.

The “mother” of Father’s Day is considered to be Sonora Dodd from Spokane, Wash., who, over a century ago, wanted a day to honor her father. William Jackson Smart was a widowed Civil War veteran who raised six children on a farm by himself. President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation in 1966 declaring the third Sunday in June to honor fathers. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a law making the day a permanent holiday.

According to a recent survey from Pew Research Center, 85% of American dads think their role is one of the most, or the most important aspect of themselves. They say they find being fathers enjoyable about 81% of the time. A survey from 2022 shows that Dad meant it when he talked about working hard and being honest – 93% of dads think being honest and ethical is vital, 87% value hard work and 64% want their kids to be ambitious. It’s not all about the business world though; 78% feel it’s highly important that their children grow up to help others in need and 75% want their kids to be accepting of people who are different from them.

Dads are much more worried about the kids supporting themselves and enjoying it than making grandbabies, according to the survey. Having financially independent adult children is the goal for 87% of dads, while 86% hope they grow up to have careers they enjoy. Getting a college degree matters to 41%, while getting married and having babies is only important to about a quarter of the respondents.

The U.S. Census Bureau says there are an estimated 72 million fathers in the U.S. and 29 million of them are also grandfathers. There are about two million single fathers in the U.S. with kids under 18. The estimated number of stay at home dads in 2022 was 239,000. Dads taking paternity leave has increased dramatically in the 21^st century; 65.9% of dads took leave for first births from 2016-2020, compared to 14% with first births from 1980 or earlier.

The dates vary, but Father’s Day is celebrated in 111 countries around the world. South Korea honors fathers and mothers together on Parents Day on May 8.

Americans are planning on spending almost $23 billion on Dear Old Dad this year, up from $20 billion last year, or an average of $196. Forty-three percent are doing that shopping online.

Father’s Day is the fourth largest card-sending holiday, with 72 million printed notes of appreciation sent out annually, according to greeting card powerhouse Hallmark. Not all cards are bought by children for dads though, that’s only 50% of card sales. About 20% of Father’s Day cards are bought for husbands, while the rest are for grandfathers, sons, brothers and others. Funny cards make up about 25% of sales.