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Single-parent families - Difficulties with work and housing

Olivier Chardon, Fabienne Daguet, Émilie Vivas, division Enquêtes et études démographiques, Insee

Summary

In 2005, 1.76 million families were made up of children under 25 years of age and a lone parent, most commonly the child’s mother. Since the 1960s, the proportion of single-parent families has grown continually as a result of the increased fragility of parental unions. Only half of single mothers work full-time, despite usually contributing the greatest proportion of the household's income. Single-parent families experience more difficult and more fragile housing conditions than couples with children. They own their own home less often. A sign of the difficulties of living alone with children is the fact that 10% of these families share their home with other people, usually a parent.

June 2008 - n°1195