June 15, 2001

DECLINING SHARE OF CHILDREN LIVED WITH SINGLE MOTHERS IN THE LATE 1990s

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On June 15, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report, Declining Share of Children Lived with Single Mothers in the Late 1990s. The report analyzes data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, which shows that between 1995 and 2000, the proportion of children younger than 18 living with a single mother declined from 19.9 percent to 18.4 percent, a drop of 8 percent. In addition, the proportion of children living with two married parents (including step-parents) remained essentially unchanged during this period, at about 70 percent. Both trends represent changes relative to trends over the 1985-1990 period, when the share of children living with a single mother remained essentially constant and the share of children living with two married parents declined.

The report's other findings include: