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Number of Lone Parents

Recent estimates suggest that there are just over 162,000 one parent families in Scotland, containing more than 280,000 children [1].

In Great Britain 25% of families are headed by a lone parent.
The best estimate for Britain is 1.7 million one-parent families, with 2.9 million dependent children [1].

The following breakdown by new local authority areas is based on the 1991 Census figures:

Area	Number
Aberdeen City	3,701
Aberdeenshire	3,826
Angus	2,625
Argyll & Bute	1,180
Clackmannanshire	1,158
Dumfries & Galloway	3,000
Dundee City	4,490
East Ayrshire	2,259
East Dumbartonshire	1,057
East Lothian	2,051
East Renfrewshire	818
Edinburgh, City of	10,477
Falkirk	3,388
Fife	8,500
Glasgow, City of	19,062
Highland	4,400
Inverclyde	2,011
Midlothian	1,870
Moray	1,394
North Ayrshire	2,934
North Lanarkshire	6,012
Orkney Islands	300
Perth & Kinross	3,483
Renfrewshire	3,479
Scottish Borders	1,800
Shetland Islands	400
South Ayrshire	1,581
South Lanarkshire	4,841
Stirling	1,952
West Dunbartonshire	2,689
West Lothian	3,500
Western Isles	500

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Age of Lone Parents

The media image of lone parents is often that of teenage parents.

However [2]:

• Only 10% of lone parents in Scotland are under 25
• 55% are 25-34
• 28% are 35-44

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Children of Lone Parents

The mean number of dependent children in one parent families in Scotland was 1.7 [2].

Over half (57%) of single parent families have a youngest child aged 6 or under, the same proportion as in couple families with 1-2 children [2].

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Gender of Lone Parents

In Scotland in 1999, the percentages of the sexes of single parent households were [2]:

• 89% female
• 11% male

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Marital Status of Lone Parents

Last century a similar proportion of families were lone parents, but the reasons have changed. In the past the main cause was bereavement, whereas today the majority of lone parents are divorced or separated.

Marital Status (1995-1997) [4]:
Lone Mothers			Lone Fathers
Divorced	33%		Divorced	43%
Separated	24%		Separated	30%
Single	38%		Single	13%
Widowed	6%		Widowed	14%

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Cohabitation

Cohabitation is increasing.

Of the 41% of births in Scotland registered to unmarried parents in 1999, 83% of these were registered jointly by the mother and father, compared to 57% jointly registered in 1980 [5].

A large proportion of women classed as single lone mothers were cohabiting when the relationship broke down so it would be more accurate to count them as separated lone mothers.
Research shows that only 15% of those counted as single have never lived with a partner [3].

Divorce

In Scotland 1 in 3 marriages end in divorce, 34% of which involve dependant children (1996), compared to 60% of divorces in 1980 [5].

In 1996 there were 12,308 divorces affecting 6,558 children under 16, 20.7% of whom were under 5 [5].

In 1999 there were 11,864 divorces, the lowest total since 1989.

71% were on grounds of non-cohabitation 22% were on grounds of unreasonable behaviour

The average length of marriages ending in divorce is 12 years.

For 33% of divorces one or both partners was under 21 when they married [5].

No information is available now on numbers of children affected.

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