Social environment: lone parent households
Estimates vary on the numbers of lone parent households in Scotland. Scottish Household Survey data (averaged across three years – 2015-2017) suggest around 22% of households with children in Scotland were classed as single parent households. The figure has varied little in recent years. However, other estimates (using different definitions) from the last published census (2011) were higher, at around 30%.
Chart 1 shows the Scottish Household Survey data for 2015-17 by local authority area. Figures range considerably, from 12-13% (Shetland, E. Renfrewshire) to around 36% (W. Dunbartonshire).
Chart 2 shows the higher, census-based, estimate for Scotland in the context of the longer-term trend between 1981 and 2011. As can be seen, the national figure increased considerably over those thirty years.
Please note: If you require the most up-to-date data available, please check the data sources directly as new data may have been published since these data pages were last updated. Although we endeavour to ensure that the data pages are kept up-to-date, there may be a time lag between new data being published and the relevant ScotPHO web pages being updated.
