Do Living Conditions Differ Among Different Types of Single Mothers?: Empirical Evidence from Vietnam

While the prevalence of single mothers is increasing around the world, research on single-mother families has been based largely on evidence from developed countries. Comparable research based on developing countries is rare. We utilize the 1999 (n = 16,928) and 2009 (n = 140,753) Vietnam Population and Housing Censuses to perform multivariate analyses that examine living conditions among single mothers with different living arrangements, household headship, and marital status. Single mothers who were household heads or lived with their children only were less likely to have standard basic amenities, durable goods, and live in an owned residence. Separated, divorced, and widowed single mothers were more likely than the never-married to have standard basic amenities and durable goods. However, never-married single mothers were more likely to live at owned residences than were other single mothers. Findings suggest that such diversity among single mothers should be acknowledged and taken into account when designing social policies and programs to support single mothers.