SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The proportion of single-parent households in South Korea kept growing among the 20-39 age group in recent years, statistical office data showed Thursday.
Among a total of 1,064,839 households with children in the age group, 81,452, or 7.6 percent, were sorted as single-parent households in 2023, according to Statistics Korea.
The proportion continued to rise from 6.7 percent in 2020 to 7.1 percent in 2021 and 7.4 percent in 2022.
Of the single-parent households, 78.2 percent was headed by mothers, but 73.9 percent was headed by fathers for two-parent households.
It indicated a change in social perception of child-rearing and marriage as well as more women joining the workforce.
Employment rate for single parents registered as heads of households reached 65.0 percent in 2023, far lower than 86.9 percent for heads of households with both parents.
The median annual earned income for single-parent households stood at 27.33 million won (19,660 U.S. dollars) in 2023, much lower than 51.97 million won (37,390 dollars) for heads of households with two parents. ■
