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The wealth (disadvantage) of single-parent households
July 2022
Abstract: Wealth is a buffer against economic shocks and the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage. We investigate the wealth of single-parent households in six high-income countries that span a variety of institutional contexts and welfare regimes. Using household survey data, we show that single-parent households in all these countries are disadvantaged in the wealth they hold, compared to dual-parent households—more so in Great Britain, France, Germany, and the United States; and less so in Italy and, especially, Spain. We tease out major differences in types of wealth holdings in single- and dual-parent households. We find that the single-parent wealth deficit is not explained by differences in age or number of children but that it is influenced by education, income, homeownership, and receipt of intergenerational transfers. We discuss the policy implications of our findings, both in terms of how single parents are treated in social protection and taxation systems and, more broadly, in the supports they require if they are to overcome barriers to accumulating wealth.
| Type: | Journal article |
| Theme(s): | Wealth accumulation and wealth inequality |
| Keywords: | homeownership, intergenerational transmission, savings, single parents, wealth |
| 10.1177/00027162221123448 | |
| RePEc:sae:anname:v:702:y:2022:i:1:p:188-204 |
Reference
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2022), 'The wealth (disadvantage) of single-parent households', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 702(1), 188-204.
@ARTICLE{pvk-921,
Author = {Nolan, Brian and Palomino, Juan C. and Van Kerm, Philippe and Morelli, Salvatore},
Title = {The wealth (disadvantage) of single-parent households},
Journal = {Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science},
Volume = {702},
Number = {1},
Pages = {188-204},
Month = jul,
Year = {2022}
}Download links
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Dataset(s) used in the paper
Other papers using the same datasets...
Lekfuangfu, W.N., Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2026), 'Bequest division: The roles of parental motives and children’s gender composition', Labour Economics, 10295.
Morelli, S., Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C. & Van Kerm, P. (2025), 'The influence of inheritances on wealth inequality in rich countries', Journal of Public Economics, 247(C), 105398.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2021), 'Intergenerational wealth transfers and wealth inequality in rich countries: What do we learn from Gini decomposition?', Economics Letters, 199, 10970.
Morelli, S., Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C. & Van Kerm, P. (2021), 'Inheritance, gifts and the accumulation of wealth for low-income households', Journal of European Social Policy, 31(5), 533-548.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2020), 'The Wealth of Families: The Intergenerational Transmission of Wealth in Britain in Comparative Perspective', Report to the Nuffield Foundation, Institute for New Economic Thinking, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
Chauvel, L., Hartung, A., Bar-Haim, E. & Van Kerm, P. (2019), 'Income and Wealth Above the Median: New Measurements and Results for Europe and the United States', in K. Decancq & P. Van Kerm, What Drives Inequality?, Research on Economic Inequality27, Emerald Publishing Ltd, Bingley, pp.89-104.
Nolan, B., Morelli, S. & Van Kerm, P. (2018), 'Wealth Inequality', in B. Nolan, Generating Prosperity for Working Families in Affluent Countries, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, Ch.12, pp.312-334.
Carpantier, J.-F., Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2018), 'Macroprudential policy and household wealth inequality', Journal of International Money and Finance, 85(C), 262-277.
Cowell, F.A., Nolan, B., Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2017), 'Wealth, Top Incomes, and Inequality', in K. Hamilton & C. Hepburn, National Wealth: What is Missing, Why it Matters, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, Ch.8, pp.175-203.
Cowell, F.A. & Van Kerm, P. (2015), 'Wealth Inequality: A Survey', Journal of Economic Surveys, 29(4), 671-710.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2022), 'Intergenerational wealth transfers in Great Britain from the Wealth and Assets Survey in comparative perspective', Fiscal Studies, 43(2), 179-199.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2021), 'Intergenerational wealth transfers and wealth inequality in rich countries: What do we learn from Gini decomposition?', Economics Letters, 199, 10970.
Morelli, S., Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C. & Van Kerm, P. (2021), 'Inheritance, gifts and the accumulation of wealth for low-income households', Journal of European Social Policy, 31(5), 533-548.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2020), 'The Wealth of Families: The Intergenerational Transmission of Wealth in Britain in Comparative Perspective', Report to the Nuffield Foundation, Institute for New Economic Thinking, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
Chauvel, L., Hartung, A., Bar-Haim, E. & Van Kerm, P. (2019), 'Income and Wealth Above the Median: New Measurements and Results for Europe and the United States', in K. Decancq & P. Van Kerm, What Drives Inequality?, Research on Economic Inequality27, Emerald Publishing Ltd, Bingley, pp.89-104.
Nolan, B., Morelli, S. & Van Kerm, P. (2018), 'Wealth Inequality', in B. Nolan, Generating Prosperity for Working Families in Affluent Countries, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, Ch.12, pp.312-334.
Morelli, S., Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C. & Van Kerm, P. (2025), 'The influence of inheritances on wealth inequality in rich countries', Journal of Public Economics, 247(C), 105398.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2022), 'Intergenerational wealth transfers in Great Britain from the Wealth and Assets Survey in comparative perspective', Fiscal Studies, 43(2), 179-199.
Morelli, S., Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C. & Van Kerm, P. (2021), 'Inheritance, gifts and the accumulation of wealth for low-income households', Journal of European Social Policy, 31(5), 533-548.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2020), 'The Wealth of Families: The Intergenerational Transmission of Wealth in Britain in Comparative Perspective', Report to the Nuffield Foundation, Institute for New Economic Thinking, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
Nolan, B., Morelli, S. & Van Kerm, P. (2018), 'Wealth Inequality', in B. Nolan, Generating Prosperity for Working Families in Affluent Countries, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, Ch.12, pp.312-334.
Other papers on the same theme(s)
Olivera, J., Schokkaert, E. & Van Kerm, P. (2026), 'The role of information in eliciting support for inheritance taxation: experimental evidence from Luxembourg', International Tax and Public Finance.
Lekfuangfu, W.N., Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2026), 'Bequest division: The roles of parental motives and children’s gender composition', Labour Economics, 10295.
Morelli, S., Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C. & Van Kerm, P. (2025), 'The influence of inheritances on wealth inequality in rich countries', Journal of Public Economics, 247(C), 105398.
Chauvel, L., Bar-Haim, E., Hartung, A. & Van Kerm, P. (2024), 'Increasing Inequality in Joint Income and Wealth Distributions in the United States, 1995 to 2013', Luxembourg Wealth Study Working Paper 46, LIS Cross-National Data Center, Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2022), 'Intergenerational wealth transfers in Great Britain from the Wealth and Assets Survey in comparative perspective', Fiscal Studies, 43(2), 179-199.
Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2022), 'Public Support for Tax Policies in COVID-19 Times: Evidence from Luxembourg', International Tax and Public Finance, 29(6), 1395-1418.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2021), 'Intergenerational wealth transfers and wealth inequality in rich countries: What do we learn from Gini decomposition?', Economics Letters, 199, 10970.
Morelli, S., Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C. & Van Kerm, P. (2021), 'Inheritance, gifts and the accumulation of wealth for low-income households', Journal of European Social Policy, 31(5), 533-548.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2020), 'The Wealth of Families: The Intergenerational Transmission of Wealth in Britain in Comparative Perspective', Report to the Nuffield Foundation, Institute for New Economic Thinking, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
Nolan, B., Palomino, J.C., Van Kerm, P. & Morelli, S. (2020), 'The intergenerational transmission of wealth in rich countries', VoxEU 19 September 2020, Centre for Economic Policy Research, London, UK.
Chauvel, L., Hartung, A., Bar-Haim, E. & Van Kerm, P. (2019), 'Income and Wealth Above the Median: New Measurements and Results for Europe and the United States', in K. Decancq & P. Van Kerm, What Drives Inequality?, Research on Economic Inequality27, Emerald Publishing Ltd, Bingley, pp.89-104.
Nolan, B., Morelli, S. & Van Kerm, P. (2018), 'Wealth Inequality', in B. Nolan, Generating Prosperity for Working Families in Affluent Countries, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, Ch.12, pp.312-334.
Carpantier, J.-F., Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2018), 'Macroprudential policy and household wealth inequality', Journal of International Money and Finance, 85(C), 262-277.
Cowell, F.A., Nolan, B., Olivera, J. & Van Kerm, P. (2017), 'Wealth, Top Incomes, and Inequality', in K. Hamilton & C. Hepburn, National Wealth: What is Missing, Why it Matters, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, Ch.8, pp.175-203.
Cowell, F.A. & Van Kerm, P. (2015), 'Wealth Inequality: A Survey', Journal of Economic Surveys, 29(4), 671-710.
Jäntti, M., Sierminska, E.M. & Van Kerm, P. (2015), 'Modeling the Joint Distribution of Income and Wealth', in T. Garner & K. Short, Measurement of Poverty, Deprivation, and Economic Mobility, Research on Economic Inequality23, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.301-327.
Jäntti, M., Sierminska, E.M. & Van Kerm, P. (2013), 'The joint distribution of income and wealth', in J. Gornick & M. Jäntti, Economic Inequality in Cross-National Perspective, Social Inequality Series, Stanford University Press, USA.