Children living in one-parent households

Evidence suggests that living in one-parent household increases the probability of child poverty. In the OECD, 85 percent of single-parent households are headed by women. The highest percentage of single-parent households prevails in English-speaking countries (US, UK, Canada and New Zealand). The highest proportion of children aged 14 or below and living in one-parent household was found in the US (25.8 percent), Estonia (24 percent), the UK (22.9 percent). The lowest proportion was found in Portugal (9.8 percent), Italy (9.2 percent) and Greece (7.4 percent). It seems that the proportion is closely related to the religious pattern of the society, meaning that more traditional societies emphasize long term marriage and matrimony stability. The issue deserves more attention as the childrens' wellbeing, earnings and state of health are, in a large part, determined in early childhood.

The proportion of children living in one-parent households

Source: OECD (2010)