In 2023, there were about 15.09 million children living with a single mother in the United States, and about 3.05 million children living with a single father. The number of children living with a single mother is down from its peak in 2012, and the number of children living with a single father is down from its peak in 2005.

Marriage and divorce in the United States

Despite popular opinion in the United States that “half of all marriages end in divorce,” the divorce rate in the U.S. has fallen significantly since 1992. The marriage rate, which has also been decreasing since the 1990s, was still higher than the divorce rate in 2021. Half of all marriages may not end in divorce, but it does seem that fewer people are choosing to get married in the first place.

New family structures

In addition to a falling marriage rate, fewer people in the U.S. have children under the age of 18 living in the house in comparison to 1970. Over the past decade, the share of families with children under 18, whether that be married couples or single parents, has stayed mostly steady, although the number of births in the U.S. has also fallen.

In 2023, there were about 1.18 million Black families with a single father living in the United States. This is an increase from 1990, when there were 472,000 Black families with a single father in the U.S.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Contra Costa County, CA was 23.84% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Contra Costa County, CA reached a record high of 26.23 in January of 2011 and a record low of 23.84 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Contra Costa County, CA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

This graph shows the Percentage of households led by a female householder with no spouse present with own children under 18 years living in the household in the U.S. in 2021, by state. In 2021, about 4.24 percent of Californian households were single mother households with at least one child.

Additional information on single mother households and poverty in the United States

For most single mothers a constant battle persists between finding the time and energy to raise their children and the demands of working to supply an income to house and feed their families. The pressures of a single income and the high costs of childcare mean that the risk of poverty for these families is a tragic reality. Comparison of the overall United States poverty rate since 1990 with that of the poverty rate for families with a female householder shows that poverty is much more prevalent in the latter. In 2021, while the overall rate was at 11.6 percent, the rate of poverty for single mother families was 23 percent. Moreover, the degree of fluctuation tends to be lower for single female household families, suggesting the rate of poverty for these groups is less affected by economic conditions.

The sharp rise in the number of children living with a single mother or single father in the United States from 1970 to 2022 suggests more must be done to ensure that families in such situations are able to avoid poverty. Moreover, attention should also be placed on overall racial income inequality given the higher rate of poverty for Hispanic single mother families than their white or Asian counterparts.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Buncombe County, NC (S1101SPHOUSE037021) from 2009 to 2023 about Buncombe County, NC; Asheville; single-parent; NC; households; 5-year; and USA.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Montgomery County, IN was 31.91% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Montgomery County, IN reached a record high of 32.94 in January of 2015 and a record low of 25.11 in January of 2009. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Montgomery County, IN - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Shelby County, TN (S1101SPHOUSE047157) from 2009 to 2023 about Shelby County, TN; Memphis; single-parent; TN; households; 5-year; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Los Angeles County, CA (S1101SPHOUSE006037) from 2009 to 2023 about Los Angeles County, CA; single-parent; Los Angeles; CA; households; 5-year; and USA.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Orange County, CA was 22.99% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Orange County, CA reached a record high of 24.32 in January of 2013 and a record low of 22.66 in January of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Orange County, CA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on February of 2025.

The number of single parents housing underage children in Germany has been increasing with figures for single fathers amounting to 181 thousand in 2018. In comparison, the number of single mothers with underage children amounted to roughly 1.3 million that year, a decrease compared to the previous years, in which the number amounted to almost 1.4 million.

Single parents

General statistics on households with children in Germany show that most families had one child, though it is not always possible to determine whether this was a household with one parent or two. Reasons for being a single parent may vary. It may be due to a court-appointed decision after a divorce, the death of a partner or other circumstances which might have led to parenting a child or children alone. When considering single mothers, additional reasons may include having children outside of a relationship or biological fathers refusing to be involved in raising children. These are only a few examples. As far as families with underage children are concerned, most German households had two children under the age of 18.

Child benefits

In many ways, Germany is a country which encourages and supports the population in having children, also financially. Monthly child benefit payments increase with more offspring. Single parents are also eligible for an alimony advance until their child turns 18, if not being financially supported by the second parent.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in St. Bernard Parish, LA (S1101SPHOUSE022087) from 2009 to 2023 about St. Bernard Parish, LA; New Orleans; single-parent; LA; households; 5-year; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Harris County, TX (S1101SPHOUSE048201) from 2009 to 2023 about Harris County, TX; Houston; single-parent; households; TX; 5-year; and USA.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Pitt County, NC was 44.49% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Pitt County, NC reached a record high of 45.54 in January of 2022 and a record low of 38.89 in January of 2017. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Pitt County, NC - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Black Hawk County, IA (S1101SPHOUSE019013) from 2009 to 2023 about Black Hawk County, IA; Waterloo; single-parent; IA; households; 5-year; and USA.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Henry County, IN was 36.32% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Henry County, IN reached a record high of 38.28 in January of 2015 and a record low of 24.85 in January of 2010. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Henry County, IN - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

In 2022, about 60 percent of Hispanic origin children lived with two married parents in the United States. On the other hand, about 4.3 percent of Hispanic origin children in the country lived with their father only.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Austin County, TX was 28.61% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Austin County, TX reached a record high of 31.80 in January of 2020 and a record low of 20.04 in January of 2013. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Austin County, TX - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Green County, WI was 30.73% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Green County, WI reached a record high of 33.93 in January of 2021 and a record low of 22.77 in January of 2012. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Green County, WI - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Baker County, GA was 68.05% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Baker County, GA reached a record high of 68.05 in January of 2023 and a record low of 21.70 in January of 2017. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Baker County, GA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Baltimore city, MD (S1101SPHOUSE024510) from 2009 to 2023 about Baltimore City, MD; Baltimore; single-parent; MD; households; 5-year; and USA.