Share of single-parent households in Ireland

Ireland: Share of single-parent households was 9.7% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
9.7%
World rank
34th
of 70 countries
All-time high
10.9%
in 2011
All-time low
7.7%
in 1981
Years of data
9
1971–2016

Share of single-parent households in Ireland, 1971–2016

02.557.5101971199320161971: 8.7 %1979: 7.8 %1981: 7.7 %1986: 8.2 %1991: 8.5 %2002: 10.2 %2006: 10.4 %2011: 10.9 %2016: 9.7 %

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

Analysis

Ireland recorded 9.7% for share of single-parent households in 2016.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of single-parent households in Ireland peaked at 10.9% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1981.

That places Ireland 34th out of 70 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 8.2% 7.8% 8.7% 2
1980s 7.9% 7.7% 8.2% 2
1990s 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 1
2000s 10.3% 10.2% 10.4% 2
2010s 10.3% 9.7% 10.9% 2

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 31 Mexico 10.2% compare
  2. 32 Liberia 9.9% compare
  3. 32 Nicaragua 9.9% compare
  4. 35 Zambia 9.6% compare
  5. 36 Kazakhstan 9.6% compare
  6. 37 Madagascar 9.5% compare

See the full ranking of 70 places →

More reference data data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of single-parent households in Ireland?
Share of single-parent households in Ireland was 9.7% in 2016, according to United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of single-parent households recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 10.9% in 2011.
What is the lowest share of single-parent households recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1981.
How does Ireland rank for share of single-parent households?
Ireland ranks 34th out of 70 countries with data for 2016.
Is share of single-parent households rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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