Table 3.4
Families with dependent children1 by marital status, 1983 to 2007-08
Families with dependent children           Percentages
Family type 1983 1991-92 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Married/cohabiting couple2 89 81 77 75 76 73 73 76 75 71 73 71 76
Lone mother 10 18 22 23 23 25 25 22 24 27 25 26 22
    -single 2 6 9 9 10 12 13 11 12 13 12 14 12
    -widowed 3 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 <1
    -divorced 1 3 5 5 4 5 5 4 4 5 4 4 4
    -separated 4 6 7 7 7 7 6 6 7 8 7 7 5
Lone father 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 3 2 2
All lone parents 11 19 23 25 24 27 27 24 25 29 27 29 24
Base=100% 1,269 1,288 1,198 1,098 1,149 1,104 1,051 997 990 974 896 946 843
Source: Continuous Household Survey
Notes:
1 Dependent children are persons under 16, or aged 16-18 and in full-time education, in the family unit, and living in the household.
2 Including married women whose husbands were not defined as resident in the household.