A 2006 survey found that 1.7 to 3.3 percent of fathers are unknowingly raising children who aren't their own. The study found that dads who opt to challenge the paternity of a child are far less likely to be the actual father than fathers who are confident enough not to challenge it. The percentage of fathers who are highly confident of their child's paternity are not the actual fathers 1.7 percent of the time.
More Paternal Facts:
- The US has the highest divorce rate in the world — about 4.95 per 1,000 people, or about 53 percent of marriages. The US is closely followed by Puerto Rico at 4.47 per 1,000 people and Russia at 3.36 per 1,000 people.
- 41 percent of married couples report having an affair; about 36 percent report having affairs with coworkers. 17 percent admit to affairs with a brother or sister-in-law.
- The average length of reported affairs is two years. About 31 percent of couples stay married after an affair or affairs have been admitted.