( CNN ) -- The number of interracial couples in the United States has reached an all-time high , with one in every 10 American opposite-sex married couples saying they 're of mixed races , according to the most recent Census data released Wednesday . In 2000 , that figure was about 7 % . The rate of interracial partnerships also is much higher among the unmarried , the 2010 Census showed . About 18 % of opposite-sex unmarried couples and 21 % of same-sex unmarried partners identify themselves as interracial . The term interracial , as it pertains to the study , is defined as members of a couple identifying as of different races or ethnicities . Neither black nor white : Three multiracial generations , one family . Analysts suggest the new figures could reflect U.S. population shifts , broader social acceptance of such unions and a more widespread willingness among those polled to be classified as mixed race . `` Identifying as an interracial couple shifts over time , '' census spokeswoman Rose Kreider said . Among interracial opposite-sex married couples , non-Hispanics and Hispanics are by far the most frequent combination , making up about 45 % of such partnerships , Kreider said . The second most represented group are those in which at least one person identifies as multiracial , while the third are marriages between whites and Asians . Marriages between blacks and whites are the fourth most frequent group among married opposite-sex interracial couples .
One in 10 opposite-sex married couples in U.S. say they 're of mixed races , census data show . In 2000 , that figure was about 7 % . Comment: Of interracial opposite-sex married couples , non-Hispanics marry Hispanics most frequently .