Share of single-parent households in India

India: Share of single-parent households was 7.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
7.2%
World rank
55th
of 70 countries
All-time high
7.2%
in 2020
All-time low
4.6%
in 1992
Years of data
10
1983–2020

Share of single-parent households in India, 1983–2020

024681983200120201983: 5.4 %1987: 5.4 %1992: 4.6 %1993: 5.1 %1999: 4.8 %2004: 5.7 %2006: 6.5 %2009: 5.4 %2015: 6.3 %2020: 7.2 %

Source: United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of single-parent households in India is 7.2%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

That represents a change of up 33.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of single-parent households in India peaked at 7.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 1992.

India ranks 55th of 70 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 5.4% 5.4% 5.4% 2
1990s 4.8% 4.6% 5.1% 3
2000s 5.9% 5.4% 6.5% 3
2010s 6.3% 6.3% 6.3% 1
2020s 7.2% 7.2% 7.2% 1

Countries ranked near India

  1. 52 Tanzania 7.3% compare
  2. 53 Morocco 7.3% compare
  3. 54 Vietnam 7.2% compare
  4. 56 Sierra Leone 7.2% compare
  5. 57 Thailand 7.1% compare
  6. 58 Egypt 7.1% compare

See the full ranking of 70 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of single-parent households in India?
Share of single-parent households in India was 7.2% in 2020, according to United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of single-parent households recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 7.2% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of single-parent households recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 1992.
How does India rank for share of single-parent households?
India ranks 55th out of 70 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of single-parent households rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 33.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of single-parent households. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of single-parent households
Unit
%
Source
United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
70 places, 523 data points, 1960–2021
Last refreshed

Percentage of households comprised of a single parent and his or her children (biological, step, and adopted/foster children), irrespective of children’s ages, and no one else