Abstract
In this chapter, we have examined the economic well-being of single parents in a cross-national perspective and compared their wealth to that of other family types. Across seven countries that represent various welfare systems, we have found similarities and differences in economic well-being as measured by wealth. In most countries, single parents have less than 50% of the level of wealth in the hands of their coupled counterparts. Homeownership contributes positively to wealth accumulation. Among homeowners, the wealth gaps between single- and couple-parent homeowners are smaller than the gaps between the overall population and renters. When studying single parents’ economic well-being it is important to keep in mind that how you become a single parent. Our results suggest that, to be better off, single- parents would need to be homeowners not living in the United States, even if they are highly educated single parents at the bottom of the wealth distribution. Since single-parents are often at the receiving end of social benefits, means-tested (not universal) benefits hamper their wealth accumulation.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The triple bind of single-parent families |
Editors | Rense Nieuwenhuis, Laurie Maldonado |
Place of Publication | Bristol |
Publisher | Policy Press |
Chapter | 3 |
Pages | 51-79 |
Number of pages | 28 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781447333654 |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Keywords
- single parents
- Wellbeing
- income
- wealth
- poverty