Almost 1 in 6 children live in single-parent households

© Hollandse Hoogte / Roel Burgler
In 2019, 16 percent of all minors in the Netherlands were living in a single-parent household. This share has continued to expand over the past two decades. Nine percent of all infants were living with only one parent. The highest shares are found in the cities of Heerlen and Rotterdam. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this in the most recent version of the CBS Youth Monitor.

At the beginning of 2019, there were nearly 3.4 million children under the age of 18 years in the Netherlands. 538 thousand of them were part of a single-parent household.
This situation may have arisen because their parents separated, one of the parents passed away or their parents never lived together.
A large majority of these children are registered with the mother (89 percent).

Over the past two decades, the share of children living in single-parent households has increased from 11 percent in 1999 to 16 percent in 2019. In the same period, the share of children living with unmarried parents has risen as well. A small proportion were residing in an institution or with a foster family; constituted a household together with one of their grandparents or siblings (whether or not including a single parent), or lived unaccompanied.

Household situation of minors in the Netherlands
yearChild in single-parent household (%)Child living with unmarried couple (%)Child living with married couple (%)Other (%)
199910.8681.51.7
200913.413.571.51.6
20191619.762.22.1

Heerlen, Rotterdam children: nearly 3 in 10 live in single-parent household

At the beginning of 2019, the highest share of single-parent households with children was found in the cities of Heerlen and Rotterdam, namely 29 percent of all children living in these municipalities. At 26 percent, Capelle aan den IJssel and Amsterdam also had relatively high shares. Staphorst and Urk had the lowest share with 4 percent of all minors living in single-parent households. In general, the share of children in single-parent households is lower in less urbanised areas.

Minors living in single-parent households, 2019
gemeenteChildren in single-parent households (%)
Appingedam21.4
Delfzijl22.4
Groningen22.7
Loppersum11.4
Almere23.0
Stadskanaal15.7
Veendam19.0
Zeewolde12.2
Achtkarspelen12.9
Ameland8.1
Harlingen17.5
Heerenveen14.9
Leeuwarden21.5
Ooststellingwerf15.5
Opsterland11.9
Schiermonnikoog12.5
Smallingerland16.4
Terschelling10.9
Vlieland13.4
Weststellingwerf12.7
Assen17.9
Coevorden13.7
Emmen17.2
Hoogeveen14.9
Meppel16.4
Almelo17.0
Borne10.5
Dalfsen7.4
Deventer17.1
Enschede20.1
Haaksbergen10.4
Hardenberg8.8
Hellendoorn9.5
Hengelo (O)16.4
Kampen9.7
Losser13.8
Noordoostpolder12.6
Oldenzaal13.0
Ommen8.8
Raalte9.5
Staphorst4.1
Tubbergen6.7
Urk3.8
Wierden7.9
Zwolle15.5
Aalten10.8
Apeldoorn15.0
Arnhem21.2
Barneveld6.6
Beuningen13.0
Brummen12.3
Buren11.0
Culemborg12.8
Doesburg19.6
Doetinchem14.7
Druten13.2
Duiven12.9
Ede9.4
Elburg9.4
Epe9.8
Ermelo9.4
Harderwijk13.2
Hattem8.0
Heerde9.0
Heumen11.3
Lochem9.8
Maasdriel10.6
Nijkerk8.5
Nijmegen19.9
Oldebroek6.3
Putten8.6
Renkum15.4
Rheden17.9
Rozendaal7.2
Scherpenzeel6.9
Tiel16.1
Voorst8.3
Wageningen15.1
Westervoort19.9
Winterswijk13.1
Wijchen13.6
Zaltbommel11.3
Zevenaar15.8
Zutphen19.5
Nunspeet8.1
Dronten13.3
Amersfoort14.5
Baarn13.5
De Bilt13.2
Bunnik9.1
Bunschoten8.1
Eemnes12.7
Houten11.8
Leusden11.4
Lopik10.4
Montfoort9.3
Renswoude5.5
Rhenen9.9
Soest12.9
Utrecht14.1
Veenendaal13.0
Woudenberg7.8
Wijk bij Duurstede12.0
IJsselstein15.6
Zeist14.7
Nieuwegein17.1
Aalsmeer12.9
Alkmaar18.7
Amstelveen14.7
Amsterdam25.6
Beemster10.3
Bergen (N-H)15.1
Beverwijk17.4
Blaricum11.9
Bloemendaal10.0
Castricum11.0
Diemen21.0
Edam-Volendam9.7
Enkhuizen17.5
Haarlem16.2
Haarlemmermeer14.2
Heemskerk16.9
Heemstede10.3
Heerhugowaard14.1
Heiloo11.8
Den Helder23.7
Hilversum15.5
Hoorn18.7
Huizen16.2
Landsmeer15.9
Langedijk13.7
Laren16.2
Medemblik12.8
Oostzaan13.6
Opmeer10.2
Ouder-Amstel16.4
Purmerend19.9
Schagen13.1
Texel14.9
Uitgeest11.5
Uithoorn16.0
Velsen17.5
Weesp14.9
Zandvoort22.2
Zaanstad20.5
Alblasserdam11.8
Alphen aan den Rijn13.4
Barendrecht12.9
Drechterland10.7
Brielle15.6
Capelle aan den IJssel26.4
Delft21.9
Dordrecht19.4
Gorinchem14.8
Gouda14.9
's-Gravenhage21.9
Hardinxveld-Giessendam6.3
Hellevoetsluis18.7
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht10.0
Stede Broec13.8
Hillegom13.6
Katwijk9.8
Krimpen aan den IJssel14.7
Leiden17.7
Leiderdorp13.2
Lisse12.5
Maassluis17.1
Nieuwkoop9.8
Noordwijk14.6
Oegstgeest12.5
Oudewater11.7
Papendrecht15.6
Ridderkerk17.2
Rotterdam28.5
Rijswijk22.4
Schiedam24.8
Sliedrecht12.3
Albrandswaard13.8
Westvoorne12.8
Vlaardingen24.3
Voorschoten13.4
Waddinxveen10.7
Wassenaar14.9
Woerden11.6
Zoetermeer21.8
Zoeterwoude12.9
Zwijndrecht21.5
Borsele9.8
Goes15.4
West Maas en Waal10.7
Hulst12.7
Kapelle10.4
Middelburg18.8
Reimerswaal8.5
Terneuzen18.0
Tholen9.9
Veere8.2
Vlissingen23.7
De Ronde Venen12.9
Tytsjerksteradiel11.3
Asten9.5
Baarle-Nassau14.0
Bergen op Zoom17.2
Best12.1
Boekel8.3
Boxmeer11.2
Boxtel14.3
Breda16.8
Deurne11.1
Pekela19.2
Dongen13.0
Eersel9.8
Eindhoven19.1
Etten-Leur14.5
Geertruidenberg13.5
Gilze en Rijen14.5
Goirle12.1
Grave12.8
Haaren10.1
Helmond16.4
's-Hertogenbosch16.2
Heusden11.6
Hilvarenbeek8.9
Loon op Zand12.5
Mill en Sint Hubert8.5
Nuenen c.a.12.8
Oirschot8.8
Oisterwijk12.0
Oosterhout16.7
Oss13.9
Rucphen10.7
Sint-Michielsgestel9.2
Someren8.7
Son en Breugel10.8
Steenbergen12.6
Waterland11.8
Tilburg20.2
Uden15.4
Valkenswaard14.9
Veldhoven12.7
Vught11.9
Waalre12.8
Waalwijk14.4
Woensdrecht13.5
Zundert10.3
Wormerland16.3
Landgraaf21.0
Beek14.4
Beesel13.3
Bergen (L)10.0
Brunssum22.1
Gennep13.0
Heerlen28.7
Kerkrade24.7
Maastricht21.5
Meerssen13.2
Mook en Middelaar13.6
Nederweert8.7
Roermond19.5
Simpelveld15.6
Stein14.5
Vaals18.7
Venlo17.6
Venray13.0
Voerendaal13.3
Weert14.3
Valkenburg aan de Geul14.2
Lelystad21.2
Horst aan de Maas9.1
Oude IJsselstreek11.8
Teylingen11.7
Utrechtse Heuvelrug10.1
Oost Gelre8.6
Koggenland10.3
Lansingerland12.1
Leudal11.2
Maasgouw9.8
Gemert-Bakel11.9
Halderberge14.5
Heeze-Leende8.6
Laarbeek11.1
Reusel-De Mierden9.9
Roerdalen14.5
Roosendaal16.7
Schouwen-Duiveland12.6
Aa en Hunze10.4
Borger-Odoorn10.9
Cuijk13.7
Landerd9.2
De Wolden10.4
Noord-Beveland13.3
Wijdemeren12.7
Noordenveld13.8
Twenterand9.1
Westerveld11.5
Sint Anthonis8.1
Lingewaard11.4
Cranendonck11.8
Steenwijkerland13.0
Moerdijk12.9
Echt-Susteren14.1
Sluis14.6
Drimmelen10.8
Bernheze10.5
Alphen-Chaam10.2
Bergeijk10.7
Bladel11.8
Gulpen-Wittem11.5
Tynaarlo11.4
Midden-Drenthe11.9
Overbetuwe12.2
Hof van Twente9.5
Neder-Betuwe7.1
Rijssen-Holten5.9
Geldrop-Mierlo15.5
Olst-Wijhe10.6
Dinkelland7.5
Westland11.1
Midden-Delfland9.2
Berkelland10.1
Bronckhorst8.8
Sittard-Geleen19.9
Kaag en Braassem11.9
Dantumadiel9.0
Zuidplas12.7
Peel en Maas9.2
Oldambt19.0
Zwartewaterland6.3
S�dwest Frysl�n13.5
Bodegraven-Reeuwijk10.1
Eijsden-Margraten9.1
Stichtse Vecht12.1
Hollands Kroon12.6
Leidschendam-Voorburg18.2
Goeree-Overflakkee9.8
Pijnacker-Nootdorp12.2
Nissewaard24.9
Krimpenerwaard10.2
De Fryske Marren11.1
Gooise Meren13.1
Berg en Dal14.1
Meierijstad12.2
Waadhoeke13.3
Westerwolde13.8
Midden-Groningen18.6
Beekdaelen14.2
Montferland11.9
Altena8.2
West Betuwe9.5
Vijfheerenlanden10.9
Hoeksche Waard10.2
Het Hogeland14.7
Westerkwartier11.1
Noardeast-Frysl�n11.6
Molenlanden7.3

15 thousand infants in single-parent households

The share of infants (0-1 years) in single-parent households increased between 1999 and 2019. At the beginning of 2019, approximately 9 percent were living in a single-parent household, equivalent to 15 thousand infants. In 1999, nearly 6 percent of all infants in the Netherlands were living in households with only one parent. In 2019, more than 30 percent of the infants were living with unmarried parents, while almost 60 percent had parents who were married. These shares were 15 and 78 percent respectively in 1999.

Household situation of infants (0-1 year of age)
YearChild in single-parent household (%)Child living with unmarried couple (%)Child living with married couple (%)Other (%)
19995.814.978.31.1
20097.429.961.11.6
20198.932.356.82