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.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in San Diego County, CA (S1101SPHOUSE006073) from 2009 to 2023 about San Diego County, CA; San Diego; single-parent; CA; households; 5-year; and USA.

In 2023, 8.3 percent of white, non-Hispanic families with a single father were living below the poverty level in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing, and shelter.

St. Louis City, MO - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in St. Louis city, MO was 55.00% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, St. Louis City, MO - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in St. Louis city, MO reached a record high of 59.80 in January of 2009 and a record low of 54.13 in January of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for St. Louis City, MO - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in St. Louis city, MO - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

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.

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.

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 Shelby County, TN (S1101SPHOUSE047157) from 2009 to 2023 about Shelby County, TN; Memphis; single-parent; TN; households; 5-year; and USA.

Philadelphia County/city, PA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Philadelphia County, PA was 53.07% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Philadelphia County/city, PA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Philadelphia County, PA reached a record high of 55.32 in January of 2012 and a record low of 53.07 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Philadelphia County/city, PA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Philadelphia County, PA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Allegheny County, PA was 32.33% 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 Allegheny County, PA reached a record high of 32.91 in January of 2011 and a record low of 31.41 in January of 2019. 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 Allegheny County, PA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Baltimore City, MD - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Baltimore city, MD was 58.39% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Baltimore City, MD - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Baltimore city, MD reached a record high of 63.35 in January of 2012 and a record low of 56.26 in January of 2022. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Baltimore City, MD - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Baltimore city, MD - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Palm Beach County, FL was 33.01% 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 Palm Beach County, FL reached a record high of 36.19 in January of 2014 and a record low of 32.60 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 Palm Beach County, FL - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

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.

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.

Williamsburg City, VA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Williamsburg city, VA was 27.38% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Williamsburg City, VA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Williamsburg city, VA reached a record high of 46.92 in January of 2021 and a record low of 27.38 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Williamsburg City, VA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Williamsburg city, VA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Sarpy County, NE was 24.11% 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 Sarpy County, NE reached a record high of 25.89 in January of 2016 and a record low of 21.58 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 Sarpy County, NE - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Craven County, NC was 35.59% 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 Craven County, NC reached a record high of 38.43 in January of 2011 and a record low of 32.26 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 Craven County, NC - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Whitley County, IN (S1101SPHOUSE018183) from 2009 to 2023 about Whitley County, IN; Fort Wayne; single-parent; IN; households; 5-year; and USA.

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.

This graph presents the percentage of single-parent families with children under 18 years of age in France from 1990 to 2020. It appears that the share of single-parents families went from 12.4 percent in 1990 to 24.7 percent in 2020.