Globally nearly 8% of all households are headed by a single parent, with 84% of them mothers. This represents 101.3 million single mothers, i.e. mothers living alone with their children – and these numbers are rising. This data indicates that women bear primary responsibility for child-rearing and the family’s economic survival. Single mothers are more likely to live in poverty than married couples, and the poverty rate for single mothers is nearly three times higher than that of married couples.
Unfortunately, single parenthood has been increasing over the past decades, and it concerns both developed and developing countries, albeit for different reasons. Single parent household’s share ranges from 6% in Eastern & South-Eastern Asia and Central & Southern Asia, to 11% in Latin America & the Caribbean. About 3.4% of single mothers are under the age of 25 which makes them particularly vulnerable.
According to a Pew survey, 59% of full-time working mothers say they don’t have enough leisure time. It’s even harder to balance work and parenting for single working moms. A single mom is supposed to take care of the kids and provide for them all by herself.
