Growth in Single Parent Households Halted – Census
The steady growth of single-parent households that began in the early 80s has turned into a small decline, according to 2006 Census data.
30% of households with children were single parent households in 2006, compared to 31% in 2001. Only the West Coast regions of both islands were bucking the trend with slight increases.
The drop in single parent households was strongest in the South Island, especially in Canterbury, Otago and Tasman regions.
The region with the highest proportion of single parent households is Gisborne at 40%, the lowest is Tasman at 24%.
More detailed data, such as sex of parent in single parent households, or age of parents, is not yet available from Statistics New Zealand.
Census and other statistical data is available from the Statistics New Zealand web site www.stats.govt.nz or through any of their offices.
