How many single-parent families are there?
Single parenting families are on the increase! This is not surprising considering the divorce rates. If this is something that you’re going through — you’re not alone.
Beyond the divorce rates, many are left being single parents due to being widowed and also never being married.
In this article, we cover the statistics of single parenting families in the USA, UK and Europe.
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Single parenting statistics
Let’s dive deeper into the statistics of single-parent families.
Single parenting in the USA
According to Statista, in 2019, around 15.76 million children were living with a single mother and around 3.23 million children living with a single father.
The number of children living with a single mother was at its peak in 2012. In 2005, the number of children living with a single father was at its peak in 2005.
Statistics of single parenting families have been increasing since the 1970s. Moreover, in 2019, fewer households have children under the age of 18 in comparison to 1970. The number of births has also fallen since.
According to CompareCamp, 57% of millennial mothers are single mothers.
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Learn how to partner with your co-parent. Read this article by Latisha Taylor Ellis.
Single parenting in the UK
In 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 14.9% were lone-parent families in the UK. That’s 2.9 million single-parent families. 86% were lone-parent mothers. However, the number of lone-parent fathers is also increasing. Between 1999 and 2019, the rate of single fathers has grown by 22%.
According to CompareCamp.com, 32% of families in the UK was a single-parent family at some point.
In 2017, 55% of UK single parents had one child, 33% had two children, and 13% had three children.
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Single parenting in Europe
According to Eurostat 2–18, 15% of households were managed by single parents. The countries with the highest rate of single parents rates are:
The countries in Europe with the lowest percentage of single-parent families are:
WikiExpert suggestion
See how divorce and separation affect children and the negative impact it has on them. Read this article by George Stack, Online Counselor and Life Coach.
Struggles single-parent families face
Single mothers are faced with challenges. According to Gallup, these are the percentages of single moms who were struggling to afford shelter in 2019 by country:
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Read the confessions of a single mom. Written by Latisha Taylor Ellis, Online Therapist.
Another common struggle that single mothers face is mental health issues. 20.6% of mothers that were single at childbirth experienced postpartum depression and 11.5% of young moms who were cohabitating at childbirth also experienced postpartum depression according to CompareCamp.com.
Beyond financial issues and depression, single mothers may also face other issues such as bereavement and mood disorders.
WikiExpert suggestion
Learn how to take care of yourself. Read this article by Megan McCarthy, Online Life Coach who gives self-care tips for parents.
Conclusion
Being a single parent is undoubtedly difficult. However, as you can see, you’re not alone. You can still be the best parent and raise your children well. If you’re struggling with the challenges that single parenting brings about, you can read articles on WikiExpert that were written by Experts. You can also book a session with one of the Online Parenting Coaches to get help.
