Family Structures Around the World

Children fare best when both parents actively care for them every day. This is most likely to occur if the parents are married, although there are many exceptions. Many developmentalists focus on the rate of single parenthood, shown on this map. Single parents often raise children well, especially with support from their families, friends, and communities.

Rates of Single Parenthood

• Canada 22%
• United States 26%
• Mexico 13%
• Columbia 33%
• Argentina 19%
• UK 22%
• Ireland 24%
• France 15%
• Portugal 12%
• Spain 7%
• Italy 10%
• Greece 5%
• Austria 14%
• Czech Republic 15%
• Poland 11%
• Finland 14%
• Sweden 18%
• Germany 14%
• Nigeria 13%
• Egypt 5%
• South Africa 58%
• Kenya 26%
• India 9%
• China 4%
• South Korea 9%
• Japan 12%
• Taiwan 4%
• Malaysia 6%
• Indonesia 10%
• Philippines 10%
• Australia 17%
• New Zealand 24%

Data from Wilcox, 2011; OECD, 2011.

Living Arrangements of U.S. 0- to 18-Year-Olds

Note that, while fewer children live with their two married biological parents from birth to age 18, it is not that more children are living in stepfamilies but that more individuals have decided to raise children on their own. Another shift is evident: Single parents once were almost always mothers, but now some are single fathers.

A bar chart shows the change in parental living arrangements in 1960, 1980, and 2018.

• Two parent households: 88% in 1960, 77% in 1980, and 69% in 2018.
• Single mother households : 8% in 1960, 18% in 1980, and 22% in 2018.
• Single father households: 1% in 1960, 2% in 1980, and 4% in 2018.
• No parent, but including other relatives and non-relatives (most of these children are adolescents): 4% in 1960, 4% in 1980, and 4% in 2018.

Information from Pew Research Center, December 17, 2015; U.S. Census Bureau, November 2018.