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 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.

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.

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 Buncombe County, NC (S1101SPHOUSE037021) from 2009 to 2023 about Buncombe County, NC; Asheville; single-parent; NC; households; 5-year; and USA.

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.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Franklin County, ME (S1101SPHOUSE023007) from 2009 to 2023 about Franklin County, ME; ME; single-parent; 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.

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 July 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.

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

Single parents

General statistics on households with children in Germany show that most families had *** child, though it is not always possible to determine whether this was a household with *** parent or ***. 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 *** 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 **, if not being financially supported by the second parent.

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 July of 2025.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Los Angeles County, CA was 32.63% 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 Los Angeles County, CA reached a record high of 34.00 in January of 2014 and a record low of 31.77 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 Los Angeles County, CA - 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 San Diego County, CA (S1101SPHOUSE006073) from 2009 to 2023 about San Diego County, CA; San Diego; single-parent; CA; households; 5-year; and USA.

San Francisco County/city, CA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in San Francisco County, CA was 22.82% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, San Francisco County/city, CA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in San Francisco County, CA reached a record high of 27.21 in January of 2011 and a record low of 22.04 in January of 2019. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for San Francisco County/city, CA - Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in San Francisco County, CA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

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 Beaver County, PA was 33.05% 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 Beaver County, PA reached a record high of 35.45 in January of 2019 and a record low of 28.45 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 Beaver County, PA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.