There are over 3.18 million single parent families in the United Kingdom as of 2023, compared with 2.94 million in 2022.

Employment rate of parents living with dependent children as a couple or lone parent by age of the youngest child in the UK.

Dataset population: Households

Lone-parent households with dependent children where the lone parent is aged 16 to 74

In most tables, the term 'lone-parent household' is used to describe a household that comprises a lone parent family and no other person. In the alternative household type variable, a lone-parent household is defined as a household that contains at least one lone-parent family but does not contain any married, same-sex civil partnership or cohabiting couples.

A count of the dependent children living in a household. A dependent child is a person aged 0 to 15 in a household (whether or not in a family) or aged 16 to 18 in full-time education and living in a family with his or her parent(s) or grandparent(s). It does not include any children who have a spouse, partner or child living in the household.

This statistic shows the cost in 2019, for lone parents, of a first child in the United Kingdom (UK) from the age of 0 to 17. Figures are compared for the costs including childcare and rent/council tax and for the costs excluding childcare and rent/council tax.

The costs with childcare and rent/council tax are consistently higher than those without. The most expensive period for lone parents, including childcare and rent/council tax, is from birth to the age of 2. Excluding childcare and rent/council tax, this period comes from age 11 to age 18.

This dataset is about books. It has 3 rows and is filtered where the book subjects is Single-parent families-Great Britain-Statistics. It features 9 columns including author, publication date, language, and book publisher.

Families and children in the UK by family type including married couples, cohabiting couples and lone parents. Also shows household size and people living alone.

Dataset population: Lone-parent households with dependent children where the lone parent is aged 16 to 74

Economic activity

Economic activity relates to whether or not a person who was aged 16 and over was working or looking for work in the week before census. Rather than a simple indicator of whether or not someone was currently in employment, it provides a measure of whether or not a person was an active participant in the labour market.

A person's economic activity is derived from their 'activity last week'. This is an indicator of their status or availability for employment - whether employed, unemployed, or their status if not employed and not seeking employment. Additional information included in the economic activity classification is also derived from information about the number of hours a person works and their type of employment - whether employed or self-employed.

The census concept of economic activity is compatible with the standard for economic status defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It is one of a number of definitions used internationally to produce accurate and comparable statistics on employment, unemployment and economic status.

Lone-parent households with dependent children where the lone parent is aged 16 to 74

In most tables, the term 'lone-parent household' is used to describe a household that comprises a lone parent family and no other person. In the alternative household type variable, a lone-parent household is defined as a household that contains at least one lone-parent family but does not contain any married, same-sex civil partnership or cohabiting couples.

A count of the dependent children living in a household. A dependent child is a person aged 0 to 15 in a household (whether or not in a family) or aged 16 to 18 in full-time education and living in a family with his or her parent(s) or grandparent(s). It does not include any children who have a spouse, partner or child living in the household.

Sex

The classification of a person as either male or female.

There are estimated to be around 12.7 million married couple families in the United Kingdom as of 2023, with a further 3.3 million opposite-sex cohabiting couple family families, and 3.2 million lone parent families.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents aged 16 years and over in families with dependent children in England and Wales by family status, by number of parents working, and by economic activity status. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

As Census 2021 was during a unique period of rapid change, take care when using this data for planning purposes. Read more about this quality notice.

As Census 2021 was during a unique period of rapid change, take care when using this data for planning purposes. Read more about this quality notice.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. Data are also available in these geographic types:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Family status by workers in generation 1

Classifies parents aged 16 years and over with dependent children in the family, by family status, the number of parents working, and economic activity.

Economic activity status

People aged 16 years and over are economically active if, between 15 March and 21 March 2021, they were:

• in employment (an employee or self-employed)
• unemployed, but looking for work and could start within two weeks
• unemployed, but waiting to start a job that had been offered and accepted

It is a measure of whether or not a person was an active participant in the labour market during this period. Economically inactive are those aged 16 years and over who did not have a job between 15 March to 21 March 2021 and had not looked for work between 22 February to 21 March 2021 or could not start work within two weeks.

The census definition differs from International Labour Organization definition used on the Labour Force Survey, so estimates are not directly comparable.

This classification splits out full-time students from those who are not full-time students when they are employed or unemployed. It is recommended to sum these together to look at all of those in employment or unemployed, or to use the four category labour market classification, if you want to look at all those with a particular labour market status.

Quarterly and historical data on employment rates of people in the UK by parental status.

Number of lone parent households Source: Census 2001 Publisher: Neighbourhood Statistics Geographies: Output Area (OA), Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA), Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA), Ward, Local Authority District (LAD), Government Office Region (GOR), National Geographic coverage: England and Wales Time coverage: 2001 Type of data: Survey (census) Notes: These are figures by which the economic status of lone parent families might be determined for areas smaller than local education areas.

Out of work Lone Parent Families with children who receive the same level of support as provided by CTC, but where it is paid as child allowances in Income Support or income-based Jobseeker/s Allowance (IS/JSA).

Source: HM Customs and Revenue, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Publisher: HM Customs and Revenue

Geographies: Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA), Local Authority District (LAD), County/Unitary Authority, Government Office Region (GOR), National

Geographic coverage: Great Britain

Time coverage: 2005, 2006

Type of data: Administrative data

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify families in England and Wales by family type, by dependent children and by age of the Family Reference Person. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021. A concealed family is one that does not include the Household Reference Person.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. Data are also available in these geographic types:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Concealed family type

This categorises the type of concealed family, whether it is a lone parent or couple family, with or without dependent or non-dependent children.

A concealed family does not include the Household Reference Person (HRP).

Example

George and Amy live at the same address as their daughter Emily and her husband and daughter.

Because Emily is not a dependent child and has her own family, there are two families in this household.

Family one are George and wife Amy. George is the Family Reference Person (FRP).

Family two is daughter Emily, husband Simon and their daughter Eve. Emily is the FRP.

As there is more than one family in the household, The FRPs are prioritised to decide who is the HRP.

In this household, George is the HRP.

This means that Emily's family is a "concealed family". Their HRP is George. They will be included as part of his household in relevant outputs.

Age of the family reference person

Age of the Family Reference Person

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by age of youngest dependent child and by household type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. Data are also available in these geographic types:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Dependent children in household and their age

Classifies the number of dependent children in a household, by the age of the youngest child. The age of youngest dependent children is classified as follows:

• Aged 0 to 4 years
• Aged 5 to 9 years
• Aged 10 to 15 years
• Aged 16 to 18 years

Household type

Classifies households in an alternative way to the "household composition" classification used in most standard census results.

The type of family present classifies a household. However, households with more than one family are categorised using this priority order:

• married couple family
• civil partnership couple family
• cohabiting couple family
• lone parent family

Within a family type, a family with dependent children takes priority.

The alternative definitions used in tables that use this classification are:

• married couple household
• same-sex civil partnership couple household
• cohabiting couple household
• lone parent household

This method returns Census 2021 estimates that classify households by the relationships between household members.

One-family households are classified by: - the number of dependent children, - family type (married, civil partnership or cohabiting couple family, or lone parent family).

Other households are classified by: - the number of people - the number of dependent children - whether the household consists only of students or only of people aged 66 and over.

The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

Dataset population: Households

Household composition

Household composition classifies households according to the relationships between the household members. Households consisting of one family and no other usual residents are classified according to the type of family (married, same-sex civil partnership or cohabiting couple family, or lone parent family) and the number of dependent children. Other households are classified by the number of people, the number of dependent children, or whether the household consists only of students or only of people aged 65 and over.

In Northern Ireland only:

• A dependent child is a person in a household aged 0 to 15 (whether or not in a family) or a person aged 16 to 18 who is a full-time student in a family with parent(s).
• A family consists of a couple (married, same-sex civil partnership or cohabiting) with or without children, or a lone parent and their children. It also includes a married, same-sex civil partnership or cohabiting couple with their grandchildren or a lone grandparent with his or her grandchildren, if there is no parent in the intervening generation in the household. A family will also include step-children when their parent is part of the couple.

Dataset population: Households

Household composition

Household composition classifies households according to the relationships between the household members. Households consisting of one family and no other usual residents are classified according to the type of family (married, same-sex civil partnership or cohabiting couple family, or lone parent family) and the number of dependent children. Other households are classified by the number of people, the number of dependent children, or whether the household consists only of students or only of people aged 65 and over.

Occupancy rating (bedrooms)

Occupancy rating provides a measure of whether a household's accommodation is overcrowded or underoccupied. There are two measures of occupancy rating: One based on the number of rooms in a household's accommodation, and one based on the number of bedrooms.

The ages of the household members and their relationships to each other are used to derive the number of rooms/bedrooms they require, based on a standard formula. The number of rooms/bedrooms required is subtracted from the number of rooms/bedrooms in the household's accommodation to obtain the occupancy rating. An occupancy rating of -1 implies that a household has one fewer room/bedroom than required, whereas +1 implies that they have one more room/bedroom than the standard requirement.

Tenure

Tenure provides information about whether a household rents or owns the accommodation that it occupies and, if rented, combines this with information about the type of landlord who owns or manages the accommodation.