Single Moms Struggling Worldwide, Particularly in U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Worldwide, Gallup finds that single mothers are more likely than the rest of the population to be struggling to put food on their table and shelter over their head. For example, across 148 countries, 44% of single women aged 18 to 60 with children younger than 15 in their household -- a proxy for single mothers -- say they have had trouble affording food for their family in the past year, compared with 28% of other adults.

But the disparities between these single women and the rest of the population are even larger in some countries, including the U.S. Single mothers in the U.S. are significantly more likely than other Americans to say there have been times in the past 12 months when they did not have enough money for food (40% vs. 17%, respectively) or adequate shelter (27% vs. 14%).

	Single women, children in household	All other residents	Gap
	% Yes	% Yes	Pct. pts.
Canada	35	10	25
U.S.	40	17	23
Poland	36	13	23
Belgium	35	12	23
Australia	33	10	23
Countries in which single women with children under 15 in their household struggle most compared with other residents
Gallup World Poll, 2014-2018

	Single women, children in household	All other residents	Gap
	% Yes	% Yes	Pct. pts.
Lithuania	36	18	18
Estonia	36	20	16
France	30	16	14
U.S.	27	14	13
N. Macedonia	24	11	13
Countries in which single women with children under 15 in their household struggle most compared with other residents
Gallup World Poll, 2014-2018

These findings are based on five iterations of the Gallup World Poll, conducted between 2014 and 2018. The World Poll gathers data from more than 140 countries and areas annually, representing more than 99% of the global population.

It's important to note that the countries listed above are not those in which single women with children are most likely to struggle overall; as would be expected, those countries are in the world's poorest regions.

Across 40 sub-Saharan African countries, for example, 65% of single women with children in the household say there have been times in the past 12 months when they did not have enough money for food. But this figure reflects the general poverty of populations throughout the region, rather than circumstances specific to single mothers; among all other residents in sub-Saharan Africa, the figure is only somewhat lower, at 61%.

In Latin America, single women with children are substantially more likely than other residents to say they've struggled to provide food. However, the difference isn't as great as it is in the U.S./Canada and Australia/New Zealand, where such women stand out for their likelihood to experience hardship in societies with a higher baseline level of economic security. In other economically developed regions, a variety of economic and societal factors -- such as wealth distribution and public welfare programs -- may help explain the smaller gap between single women with children and other residents.

	Single women, children in household	All other residents	Gap
	% Yes	% Yes	Pct. pts.
World	44	28	16
Sub-Saharan Africa	65	61	4
Latin America	45	34	11
Southeast Asia	43	39	4
U.S./Canada	43	17	26
Middle East/North Africa	37	38	-1
South Asia	36	34	2
Post-Soviet Eurasia	36	26	10
Australia/New Zealand	35	10	25
Eastern Europe	31	19	12
East Asia	19	11	8
Western Europe	18	9	9
Gallup World Poll, 2014-2018

Implications

Single women raising children often face financial challenges regardless of where they live in the world. But Gallup data suggest the U.S. is among the countries where they struggle most relative to the rest of the country's population. Many single mothers in the U.S. live in low-income communities with limited childcare options and few opportunities to find good jobs.

Prior research has shown that such conditions often keep single parents focused on day-to-day subsistence, with little chance to consider longer-term strategies for upward mobility. Some observers, including the authors of a 2017 report from Brookings' The Hamilton Project, conclude that public investments in childcare and other strategies for removing barriers to education and job opportunities for single mothers could help many improve their financial situation while boosting women's overall participation in the labor market.

For more complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.