1,62 Millionen Alleinerziehende mit minderjährigen Kindern leben in Deutschland

KUALA LUMPUR, 25 JULY 2026 —

Germany had 1.62 million single parents with children under 18 in 2025, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Wednesday, citing preliminary micro-census results.

The figure represented 19.4% of all families with minors, down from 15.0% in 2015. The number of single parents fell to 1.62 million from 1.65 million, according to Destatis.

Women accounted for 84.4% of the total, or 1.37 million, compared with 88.9% a decade ago. The share of single fathers rose to 15.6%, or 253,000. In 2015, the share of single fathers stood at 11.1%.

A proposed reform to child support advances would restrict payments to children under 16, from the current 18. In 2025, 373,000 teenagers aged 16-17 lived with a single parent, or 15.8% of all minors in such households. The change would affect 21.2% of single-parent families, Destatis said.

Single mothers with under-18s worked full-time at a higher rate than partnered mothers: 38.6% versus 30.7%. Single fathers worked full-time at 83.8%, below the 91.5% rate for partnered fathers.

Overall, 71.8% of single parents with under-18s were employed last year. Fathers (82.8%) were more likely to work than mothers (69.8%).

Single-parent households also faced higher poverty risk. In 2025, 28.9% of people in such households lived below the poverty line, more than double the 12.0% rate for households with couples and children. The national average was 16.1%.

Destatis defines single parents as mothers or fathers living with their children without a spouse or partner in the same household. The micro-census covers about 1% of Germany’s population each year. Employment figures exclude those on parental leave. Poverty data are based on the prior year’s household income.