Race and Sibling Relations

February 24, 2022

Childhood experiences with your siblings have been shown to play an important formative role for young children. But not all Americans are equally close with their siblings. Black Americans in particular stand out for their strong childhood sibling relationships. A majority (53 percent) of Black Americans who grew up with siblings report they felt very close to their brothers and sisters growing up. Less than half (46 percent) of Hispanic Americans say the same. White and Asian Americans are less likely to report having such close relationships. Less than four in 10 White (38 percent) and Asian (32 percent) Americans report having a very close relationship with their siblings growing up. Notably, Black women are the most likely to report turning to a sibling, particularly their sisters, for support growing up.