Study: US Has World's Highest Percentage of Children Living in Single-Parent Homes

According to a new study, the United States has the world's largest percentage of children living in a single-parent home.

The Pew Research Center conducted a study of 130 countries, revealing that 23% of children under the age of 18 live with one parent and no other adult.

The percentage for the US is three times higher than the rate of children around the world, which is only 7%. 

The study explored how living conditions vary by religion and found that American children from Christian and religiously independent families were likely to live in this type of classification.

When compared with children living in other countries, data showed 3% in China, 4% in Nigeria and 5% in India live in single-parent homes.

Also, these findings revealed that children in the US are less likely to live in extended families. 

The study found that 8% of American children live with relatives such as aunts, uncles and grandparents, in comparison to 38% of children globally.

Researchers have various ways of classifying a single-parent home but for this report it considered a one adult living with at least one biological, step or foster child under the age of 18. 

The US and other economically developed countries, specifically in Europe and northern Asia, have relatively small households overall.

The average American lives in a home of 3.4 people – which is less than the global average of 4.9, but slightly higher than the European average of 3.1. 

In the US, Christians (3.4), the independent (3.2) and Jews (3.0) live with early the same number of household members.

The study revealed that young adults in the US continue to live with their parents at rather high rates. Adult child households account for 20% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34. 

A home consisting of young adult children is described as at least one parent living with one son or daughter 18 or older and no minor children or other family members.

The most common arrangement for older Americans is to live as a couple without any other children or relatives. Researchers found that 46% of Americans age 60 and older live in this type of households compared to 31% globally.

Also researchers discovered that 6% of older Americans live in extended-family homes, compared to 38% of adults ages 60 and older globally.

Cultural beliefs also play a part, and, in many areas of the world, it is anticipated that adult children will look after their aging parents.

Despite the differences, the patterns within a US home are similar in some ways to other countries and a few of the similarities are associated with gender.