Statistic

One-third (35 percent) of Americans today say they have been through a breakup at least once in the past 10 years.

Americans under age 35 are twice as likely as those between 35 and 54, and nearly five times as likely as those 55 and older, to have split with a significant other in the past decade. In fact, 59 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 say they have recently experienced a breakup.

Although half of women (51 percent) say they initiated their most recent split, only 32 percent of men say their partner dumped them.

According to the Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for 2011, 70% of American adults like stores to use signs that say “Merry Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays” when they are shopping.

Source: Rasmussenreports.com

107 trillion emails were sent in 2010 and 89.1% of them were spam.

Source: Business Insider, January 14, 2011

There were 5.6 million stay-at-home mothers in 2006.

Somewhere between 61 percent and 81 percent of children under the age of six eat breakfast and dinner with their mother every single day.

Source: U. S. Census Bureau

In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report based on a nationwide survey of 10,847 women. They found that twenty percent of first marriages end in divorce or separation within five years while forty-nine percent of premarital cohabitation relationships end within that same time frame. When these time frames are extended to ten years sixty-two percent of cohabitation relationships breakup, while just thirty-three percent of first marriages end.

Source: CDC Press Release, July 24, 2002

A survey conducted April 3-4, 2012 shows that 77% of Americans believe Jesus rose from the dead, and 86% believe that He was a real historical figure.

Source: Rasmussenreports.com

The number of churches that close each year is nearly three times the number that open, and no county in the nation reports a higher percentage of church attendance than ten years ago.

Source: SBC Life, June 2003

In April, 2009 the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported the unchurched is the fastest growing religious group in America. Over sixteen percent of those surveyed belonged to no church and did not identify with any religious group.

In 2008, 4,000 books were published on happiness which is significantly more than the 50 which were published in 2000. If people would read the Bible, they would find the key to true joy.

Source: Psychology Today, January 1, 2009

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

When it comes to Thanksgiving, Americans like to begin grazing long before the big meal begins. The average person consumes about 10% of their Thanksgiving calories before the turkey is ever served.

Source: AARP Bulletin, November/December 2010

When asked how well the word patriotic describes them, the following percentages of Americans answered “very well”:
Of all respondents: 53%
Men: 57%
Women: 49%
Ages 18-34: 35%
Ages 35-49: 44%
Ages 50-59: 67%
Ages 60+: 77%

Source: American Demographics, July 1, 2001

In America, the average desk worker has 36 hours worth of work on his or her desk and wastes 3 hours a week just searching for things in the maze of clutter.

Source: In Other Words

Someone has calculated how a typical lifespan of 70 years is spent. Here is the estimate:

Sleep—23 years—32.9%

Work—16 years—22.8%

TV—8 years—11.4%

Eating—6 years—8.6%

Travel—6 years—8.6%

Leisure—4.5 years—6.5%

Illness—4 years—5.7%

Dressing—2 years—2.8%

Religion—0.5 years—0.7%

Total—70 years

Source: Our Daily Bread, November 25, 1992

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

Experts estimate that if a normal cassette tape is played about 100 times a year, sound quality will deteriorate somewhat after about 10 years. But the tape itself will play on.

A lightening bolt lasts 45 to 55 microseconds.

The average running shoe worn by the average runner on an average surface will last 350 to 500 miles.

A hard pencil can write up to 30,000 words or draw a line more than 30 miles long. Most ball-point pens will draw a line 4,000 to 7,500 feet long.

The resurrection of Jesus is central to the celebration of Easter, but less than half of adult Americans link the two. The Barna Group found that only 42% of adults tied Easter to the Resurrection. Adults between the ages of 18 and 25 did the worst. David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, said, “The Easter holiday in particular still has a distinctly religious connection for people, but the specifics of it are really fading in a lot of people’s minds.”

Source: The Houston Chronicle, March 18, 2010

21% of those who define themselves as atheists say they believe in God.

13% of Christians who attend evangelical churches say God is more of an impersonal force than a Person with Whom people can have a relationship.

Source: Christianity Today, August 2008

Americans shell out more for garbage bags than 90 of the world’s 210 countries do for everything.

Source: Global Political Economy and the Wealth of Nations, Philip O’Hara

A Barna poll indicated that 76% of Americans believed in Heaven and 71% believed in Hell. Of those who believe in Heaven 50% believe you can get there without accepting Christ as Saviour.

Source: Los Angeles Times, October, 24, 2003

An American Express survey about Christmas gifts found that fruitcake was chosen most often (31%) from a list of “worst” holiday gifts. It even finished ahead of “no gift at all.” When asked how to dispose of a bad gift, 30% of those surveyed said they would hide it in the closet, 21% would return it, and 19% would give it away.

Source: Unknown

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that over 17 million Americans drive while they are drunk at least once a year. That figure is about the same as:

1. The amount of students enrolled in higher education (18 million)

2. 1 in 18 Americans

3. 1 in 5 drivers

Source: National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behaviors, NHTSA, August 2010