Interracial Marriage: 1 In 10 American Marriages Are Mixed, Census Reveals

One in 10 American marriages are between partners of a different race or ethnicity, according to data released on Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report, which examined Census information from 2010, showed that the number of mixed marriages among heterosexual couples has risen since 2000. That year, only seven percent of marriages were mixed.

The report also revealed that more than 18 percent of unmarried heterosexual relationships were between partners of a different race or ethnicity. Among same-sex couples the number of mixed partnerships was even higher at 20 percent.

This data shows that mixed marriages are actually more prevalent than previously thought. In February, a Pew Research Center report found that 8.4 percent of current marriages -- or approximately one in 12 Americans -- were between spouses of a different race, up from 3.2 percent in 1980.

The same study also found that interracial marriages were most prevalent in western states. The 2010 Census confirmed the Pew finding, revealing that more than 26 percent of marriages in Western states were mixed.