German Family Report Highlights Challenges for Single Parents

The 10th Family Report reveals rising numbers of single-parent households, significant financial strain, and calls for targeted policy reforms.

Single-parent households now make up 20% of all families in Germany, with 1.7 million parents raising children alone as of 2023.
The report underscores the high poverty risk for single parents, particularly mothers, whose risk is three times higher than that of women in partnerships.
Experts recommend expanding childcare availability, improving flexibility in care options, and ensuring reliable support to enable economic independence for single parents.
Shared parenting after separation remains rare, with only 8% of families practicing equal custody arrangements, and many children losing contact with one parent entirely.
The report calls for reforms in family law, statistics, and social policies to better reflect modern family structures and address systemic inequalities.