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OECD - Social Policy Division - Directorate of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
SF1.3: Living arrangements of children
Definitions and methodology
This indicator presents information on the extent to which children live with two parents, with only a
mother or only a father, or in some other arrangement. Data are presented through one main measure:

The distribution (%) of children aged 0-14 by the presence of parents in the household, with
children categorised into those who who i) live in the same household as both a mother and a
father, ii) live in a household with only a mother, iii) live in a household with only a father,
and iv) live in a household with neither a mother nor a father.
To illustrate how children’s living arrangements may differ with socio-economic status, this indicator
also presents data on how living arrangements for children who live with a mother vary with the mother’s
level of education:

The distribution (%) of children aged 0-14 who live with a mother by the mother's level of
education and the presence of a father in the household. Educational attainment is measured
here using the standard three-part ordinal variable based on the ISCED 2011 classification
system: 'low education' corresponds to a highest level of educational attainment at ISCED
2011 levels 0-2 (early-childhood education, primary or lower secondary education); ‘medium
education’ reflects a highest level of educational attainment at ISCED 2011 levels 3-4 (upper
secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education); and ‘high education’ corresponds to a
highest level of educational attainment at ISCED 2011 levels 5-8 (short-cycle tertiary
education, bachelor or equivalent, master or equivalent, doctoral or equivalent). Children are
categorised into those who i) live in the same household as both a mother and a father and ii)
live in a household with only a mother. Data cover children who live with a mother only, with
any children who do not live with a mother excluded.
For most European countries data come from the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU LFS).
For non-European countries, data come either from national labour force surveys, national household
surveys, or national population and housing censuses. Across countries, data generally do not allow for the
separate identification of biological vis-à-vis step- or adoptive parents.
This indicator also considers the proportion of children living in ‘original’ or in ‘reconstituted’
families. There is limited comparable information on this topic, but the Health Behaviour in School-Aged
Children (HBSC) survey has some data for children aged 11, 13 and 15 (see Inchley et al., 2016).
Respondents were asked whether they lived in one or two homes (i.e. two families) and which home was
their ‘main’ home. The data presented concern the proportion of children who reported they were living
primarily with two parents, with a single parent, in a step-family, or within some other arrangement (for
example, in a foster home or with non-parental family members).
Key findings
Across OECD countries, the large majority of children (82%, on average) live in a household with
both a father and mother (Table SF1.3.A), although there is considerable variation across countries. In
Turkey, for example, 93% of children live with both a mother and a father, while in the United States, this
is only 69%. The remaining 15-20% of children live either with only one parent, or with no parents. In all
OECD countries, children who live with only one parent are more likely to live with only a mother (15%,
Other relevant indicators: Family size and household composition (SF1.1); Children in Families (SF1.2); Share of births
outside marriage (SF2.4); Childlessness (SF2.5); Marriage and Divorce rates (SF3.1) and Cohabitation rate and
prevalence other forms of partnerships (SF3.3); and Child poverty (CO2.2).
1
Updated: 25-11-16
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OECD - Social Policy Division - Directorate of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
on average) than only a father (2%, on average). Generally, very few children live in households were
neither are present – only in three OECD countries (Denmark, Mexico, and the United States) is the
proportion of children who live with neither a mother nor a father greater than 3%.
Table SF1.3.A: Children by the presence of parents in the household, 2014 or latest availablea
Distribution (%) of children aged 0-14 by the presence of parents in the household
Both a mother and a father
live in the same household
Only a mother lives in the
same household
Only a father lives in the
same household
Neither a mother nor a
father live in the household
Australia (b)
83.51
14.28
2.21
..
Austria
87.35
11.47
0.82
0.36
Belgium
..
..
..
..
Canada
79.90
15.88
3.42
0.80
Chile
..
..
..
..
Czech Republic
81.39
16.40
1.69
0.52
Denmark
66.39
22.80
6.66
4.16
Estonia
73.65
22.02
2.77
1.56
Finland
..
..
..
..
France
77.12
18.78
3.74
0.35
Germany
81.18
17.23
1.59
0.00
Greece
92.20
6.41
1.21
0.18
Hungary
79.12
17.89
1.71
1.27
Iceland
..
..
..
..
Ireland
82.25
15.82
1.63
0.30
Israel
..
..
..
..
Italy
89.19
9.47
1.11
0.23
Japan (c)
87.13
10.75
1.44
0.67
Korea
..
..
..
..
Latvia
73.34
23.08
2.92
0.66
Luxembourg
85.39
11.58
1.97
1.06
Mexico (c)
78.36
16.95
1.12
3.57
Netherlands
87.07
10.88
1.61
0.44
New Zealand
..
..
..
..
Norway
..
..
..
..
Poland
82.89
14.56
1.27
1.28
Portugal
82.01
15.00
1.49
1.51
Slovak Republic
83.22
13.55
2.44
0.79
Slovenia
89.59
8.72
1.25
0.44
Spain
84.08
13.81
1.48
0.64
Sweden
81.57
13.65
4.51
0.27
..
..
..
..
Turkey
93.09
5.59
0.65
0.67
United Kingdom
70.27
25.90
2.26
1.57
United States
69.11
23.46
3.71
3.72
OECD-26 average
81.55
15.23
2.18
1.08
Bulgaria
82.88
12.23
2.67
2.22
Croatia
92.30
6.37
1.01
0.33
Cyprus
89.04
10.08
0.70
0.19
Lithuania
71.35
24.71
2.50
1.45
Malta
81.41
16.04
1.60
0.95
Romania
88.78
7.20
1.68
2.33
EU average
82.12
14.83
2.09
0.96
Eurozone average
82.91
14.63
1.81
0.65
Switzerland
2
Updated: 25-11-16
OECD Family Database www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
OECD - Social Policy Division - Directorate of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
a) Data for Mexico and Japan refer to 2010, for Canada to 2011, for Denmark and Sweden to 2012, for Australia to 2012/13 and for
Germany and Turkey to 2013
b) For Australia, 'both a mother and a father live in the same household' refers to children living in 'couple' families, that is, in a family
unit "based on two persons who are in a registered or de facto marriage and who are usually resident in the same household". 'Only a
mother lives in the same household' and 'only a father lives in the same household' refer, respectively, to children living in 'lone
mother families' and 'lone father families', that is, in family units consisting of a lone parent (itself defined as "a person who has no
spouse or partner usually resident in the household but who forms a parent-child relationship with at least one child usually resident in
the household") with at least one dependent or non-dependent child who is also usually resident in the household.
c) For Japan and Mexico, proportion among valid cases (i.e. cases with missing information on the presence of parents in the
household are excluded from the calculation). In Japan in 2010, information on the presence of parents in the household was missing
for about 0.32% of children aged 0-14. In Mexico in 2010, information was missing for about 6.24% of children aged 0-14.
d) Footnote by Turkey: The information in this document with reference to « Cyprus » relates to the southern part of the Island. There
is no single authority representing both Turkish and Greek Cypriot people on the Island. Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Until a lasting and equitable solution is found within the context of United Nations, Turkey shall preserve its
position concerning the “Cyprus issue”;
e) Footnote by all the European Union Member States of the OECD and the European Commission: The Republic of Cyprus is
recognized by all members of the United Nations with the exception of Turkey. The information in this document relates to the area
under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
Sources: for Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics; for Canada, StatCan; for European countries, European Union Labour Force Survey; for Japan, Statistics
Japan; for Mexico, INEGI; for Turkey, Turkish Household Labour Force Survey; for the United States, U.S. Current Population Survey
In most OECD countries, children who live with a mother are more likely to live with only a mother
and without a father when the mother has a lower level of educational attainment (Table SF1.3.B). On
average across OECD countries with available data, just under 23% of children who live with a mother
with a low level of education attainment live only with a mother, compared to less than 11% of children
who live with a mother with a high level of education attainment. The gap is largest in Ireland, the United
Kingdom, and especially the Czech Republic, where the share living with only a mother is roughly 29
percentage points higher among children living with a mother with low educational attainment than among
those with a mother with high educational attainment. There are some exceptions, however. In some
Southern and South-eastern European OECD countries (Greece, Italy and Slovenia, plus also Bulgaria,
Croatia and Romania) and Turkey, among those children living with a mother, the share living only with a
mother and without a father is relatively similar whatever the level of maternal education.
Table SF1.3.C reports the proportion of young adolescents living primarily with both their parents,
with one parent, or in a step-family. On average across OECD countries, 74% of children between 11 and
15 live with two parents, and 16% live with a single parent. The proportion of children living in a stepfamily varies from only 3% in Greece and Italy and 1% in the Slovak Republic to 14% in Estonia and
Finland and 17% in the French-speaking region of Belgium. The likelihood of an 11-to-15-year-old living
in a step-family tends to be lowest in Southern European (e.g. Greece, Italy, and Spain) and Eastern
European (e.g. Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia) OECD countries, plus also Ireland and Israel,
though this isn’t always the case – both the Czech Republic and Portugal both have above-average
proportions of 11-to-15-year-olds living in step-families. The highest shares of children living 11-to-15year-olds living in step-families tend to be found in a mixture of Western European (e.g. Belgium, France,
and the United Kingdom) and Northern European countries (e.g. Estonia and Finland).
3
Updated: 25-11-16
OECD Family Database www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
OECD - Social Policy Division - Directorate of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
Table SF1.3.B: Children living with a mother by the mother's level of educational attainment
and the presence of a father in the household, 2014 or latest availablea
Distribution (%) of children aged 0-14 who live with a mother, for children with mothers with a given level of
educational attainmentb, by the presence of a father in the household
Low education
Medium education
High education
Both a mother
and a father
Only a mother
Both a mother
and a father
Only a mother
Both a mother
and a father
..
..
..
..
..
..
Austria
86.61
13.39
87.84
12.16
90.28
9.72
Belgium
..
..
..
..
..
..
Canada
..
..
..
..
..
..
Chile
..
..
..
..
..
..
63.12
36.88
81.96
18.04
91.84
8.16
Denmark
..
..
..
..
..
..
Estonia
66.24
33.76
74.84
25.16
80.88
19.12
Finland
..
..
..
..
..
..
France
70.75
29.25
78.54
21.46
86.84
13.16
Germany
77.16
22.84
81.65
18.35
88.16
11.84
Greece
91.67
8.33
93.32
6.68
95.01
4.99
Hungary
76.44
23.56
79.13
20.87
89.36
10.64
Iceland
..
..
..
..
..
..
Ireland
66.01
33.99
79.87
20.13
91.38
8.62
Australia
Czech Republic
Only a mother
Israel
..
..
..
..
..
..
Italy
90.01
9.99
90.35
9.65
91.16
8.84
..
..
..
..
..
..
Japan
Korea
..
..
..
..
..
..
Latvia
69.24
30.76
71.99
28.01
82.46
17.54
Luxembourg
86.43
13.57
83.62
16.38
91.09
8.91
..
..
..
..
..
..
Netherlands
81.77
18.23
88.32
11.68
92.68
7.32
New Zealand
..
..
..
..
..
..
Norway
..
..
..
..
..
..
Poland
72.65
27.35
82.87
17.13
90.39
9.61
Portugal
80.92
19.08
85.90
14.10
88.24
11.76
Slovak Republic
77.98
22.02
85.67
14.33
90.48
9.52
Slovenia
90.24
9.76
89.00
11.00
93.49
6.51
Spain
81.15
18.85
83.66
16.34
90.22
9.78
Sweden
70.18
29.82
86.20
13.80
89.27
10.73
Mexico
Switzerland
..
..
..
..
..
..
Turkey
94.63
5.37
94.04
5.96
94.42
5.58
United Kingdom
59.90
40.10
67.46
32.54
85.09
14.91
United States
66.47
33.53
66.03
33.97
84.79
15.21
OECD-21 average
77.12
22.88
82.49
17.51
89.41
10.59
Bulgaria
86.43
13.57
86.13
13.87
88.77
11.23
Croatia
92.98
7.02
93.65
6.35
93.51
6.49
Cyprus
81.69
18.31
88.94
11.06
92.14
7.86
Lithuania
67.85
32.15
68.77
31.23
80.73
19.27
Malta
77.20
22.80
87.54
12.46
91.99
8.01
Romania
93.06
6.94
92.06
7.94
92.87
7.13
EU average
78.31
21.69
83.57
16.43
89.53
10.47
Eurozone average
79.00
21.00
83.52
16.48
89.25
10.75
4
Updated: 25-11-16
OECD Family Database www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
OECD - Social Policy Division - Directorate of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
a) Data for Sweden refer to 2012, and for Germany and Turkey to 2013
b) Educational attainment is measured on a three-part ordinal variable (low education, medium education and high education), with
distinctions between the three levels corresponding to the usual ISCED classification system: 'low education' corresponds to a highest
level of educational attainment at ISCED 2011 levels 0-2 (early-childhood education, primary or lower secondary education); ‘medium
education’ reflects a highest level of educational attainment at ISCED 2011 levels 3-4 (upper secondary and post-secondary nontertiary education); and ‘high education’ corresponds to a highest level of educational attainment at ISCED 2011 levels 5-8 (shortcycle tertiary education, bachelor or equivalent, master or equivalent, doctoral or equivalent). Children with no parents living in the
same household are excluded.
d) Footnote by Turkey: The information in this document with reference to « Cyprus » relates to the southern part of the Island. There
is no single authority representing both Turkish and Greek Cypriot people on the Island. Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Until a lasting and equitable solution is found within the context of United Nations, Turkey shall preserve its
position concerning the “Cyprus issue”;
e) Footnote by all the European Union Member States of the OECD and the European Commission: The Republic of Cyprus is
recognized by all members of the United Nations with the exception of Turkey. The information in this document relates to the area
under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
Sources: for European countries, European Union Labour Force Survey; for Turkey, Turkish Household Labour Force Survey; for the United States, U.S. Current
Population Survey
Table SF1.3.C: Living arrangements of young adolescents, 2013-14
Distribution (%) of children aged 11-15 by type of parental living arrangement in main home
Australia
Austria
Belgium (Flemish)
Belgium (French)
Canada
Chile
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel (b)
Italy
Japan
Korea
Latvia
Luxembourg
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Two parents
..
75.00
71.00
66.00
68.00
..
68.00
72.00
66.00
70.00
69.00
74.00
84.00
69.00
69.00
77.00
Single parent
..
16.00
14.00
15.00
17.00
..
18.00
17.00
19.00
14.00
16.00
15.00
12.00
18.00
16.00
16.00
Step-family
..
7.00
14.00
17.00
10.00
..
12.00
10.00
14.00
14.00
13.00
10.00
3.00
10.00
13.00
6.00
Other
..
2.00
1.00
2.00
5.00
..
2.00
1.00
2.00
1.00
2.00
2.00
1.00
3.00
1.00
1.00
84.00
82.00
..
..
64.00
71.00
..
76.00
..
75.00
78.00
73.00
76.00
79.00
79.00
69.00
77.00
..
11.00
13.00
..
..
21.00
15.00
..
15.00
..
14.00
14.00
16.00
22.00
13.00
14.00
18.00
14.00
..
4.00
3.00
..
..
11.00
12.00
..
9.00
..
10.00
6.00
9.00
1.00
6.00
6.00
10.00
8.00
..
1.00
2.00
..
..
4.00
3.00
..
1.00
..
1.00
2.00
2.00
1.00
2.00
2.00
3.00
1.00
..
5
Updated: 25-11-16
OECD Family Database www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
OECD - Social Policy Division - Directorate of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
UK (England)
UK (Scotland)
UK (Wales)
United States
OECD-25 average (a)
Russian Fed.
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Lithuania
Malta
Romania
EU average
Eurozone average
70.00
65.00
61.00
..
73.76
67.00
74.00
84.00
..
70.00
85.00
75.00
74.36
74.71
18.00
21.00
24.00
..
15.76
20.00
16.00
10.00
..
18.00
11.00
17.00
15.76
15.65
11.00
12.00
11.00
..
8.68
10.00
5.00
4.00
..
9.00
1.00
4.00
7.80
7.88
2.00
3.00
4.00
..
1.92
2.00
5.00
2.00
..
3.00
3.00
5.00
2.28
2.00
Note: Respondents were asked about their parental living arrangements, whether they had 'one' or 'two' homes, and
which household was their 'main' home. The data shown here reflect arrangements in the respondent's 'main' home
only, and show the proportions who reported living primarily with both parents, within a stepfamily, single-parent family
or some other arrangement. “Other” includes foster homes or children living with non-parental family members only.
a) The Eurozone average excludes Belgium, and the OECD-25 and EU averages exclude Belgium and the United Kingdom
b) The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by
the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the
terms of international law.
Sources: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study 2013/14, accessed through the European Health Information Gateway
Comparability and data issues
Indicators SF1.1 and SF1.2 already reported difficulties with identifying the different forms of living
arrangements because of their transitory nature and because children can live in more than one household.
Double-counting may lead to some over-estimation of those living with a single and/or in a step-family.
Some parents may also be reluctant to declare that their child is also “usually living” with a former partner
(Table SF1.3.A). This issue is at least partly addressed by asking children directly on their living
arrangements (in Table SF1.3.B).
The effective number of children sharing the dwelling of their father in Table SF1.3.A may be
underestimated as children who “usually” alternate between father’s and mother’s residences are most
likely to be counted as living with their mother only.
Sources and further reading: Inchley, J. et al. (2013). Growing up unequal: gender and socioeconomic differences in
young people’s health and well-being. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: international report
from the, 2014. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen. Europe; Eurostat (2016), The
European Union Labour Force Survey, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lfs/overview
6
Updated: 25-11-16