Sweden vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of children living with a single parent
Sweden
21.9%
in 2023
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
20.8%
in 2018
Sweden rank
5th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
8th
Share of children living with a single parent over time
- Sweden
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 21.9% against 20.8% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 1.1%.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.
Across all 14 years both countries report, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been ahead every year.
Sweden ranks 5th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th of 34 countries.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sweden | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.9% | 22.8% | 3.9% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 19.0% | 22.5% | 3.5% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of children living with a single parent, Sweden or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Sweden, at 21.9% against 20.8% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in share of children living with a single parent between Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 1.1%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2018.
- How do Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for share of children living with a single parent?
- Sweden ranks 5th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th of 34 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of children living with a single parent. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of children aged 0-17 living with a single parent.