TY - JOUR
T1 - The Wealth (Disadvantage) of Single-Parent Households
AU - Morelli, Salvatore
AU - Nolan, Brian
AU - Palomino, Juan C.
AU - Van Kerm, Philippe
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by The American Academy of Political and Social Science.
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - Wealth is a buffer against economic shocks and the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage. We investigate the wealth of single-parent households in six high-income countries that span a variety of institutional contexts and welfare regimes. Using household survey data, we show that single-parent households in all these countries are disadvantaged in the wealth they hold, compared to dual-parent households—more so in Great Britain, France, Germany, and the United States; and less so in Italy and, especially, Spain. We tease out major differences in types of wealth holdings in single- and dual-parent households. We find that the single-parent wealth deficit is not explained by differences in age or number of children but that it is influenced by education, income, homeownership, and receipt of intergenerational transfers. We discuss the policy implications of our findings, both in terms of how single parents are treated in social protection and taxation systems and, more broadly, in the supports they require if they are to overcome barriers to accumulating wealth.
AB - Wealth is a buffer against economic shocks and the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage. We investigate the wealth of single-parent households in six high-income countries that span a variety of institutional contexts and welfare regimes. Using household survey data, we show that single-parent households in all these countries are disadvantaged in the wealth they hold, compared to dual-parent households—more so in Great Britain, France, Germany, and the United States; and less so in Italy and, especially, Spain. We tease out major differences in types of wealth holdings in single- and dual-parent households. We find that the single-parent wealth deficit is not explained by differences in age or number of children but that it is influenced by education, income, homeownership, and receipt of intergenerational transfers. We discuss the policy implications of our findings, both in terms of how single parents are treated in social protection and taxation systems and, more broadly, in the supports they require if they are to overcome barriers to accumulating wealth.
KW - homeownership
KW - intergenerational transmission
KW - savings
KW - single parents
KW - wealth
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143289562&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/00027162221123448
DO - 10.1177/00027162221123448
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85143289562
SN - 0002-7162
VL - 702
SP - 188
EP - 204
JO - Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
JF - Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
IS - 1
ER -