The United States has the largest share of children being raised by a single parent of any nation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a new analysis shows.
According to the OECD’s analysis, children raised by a single parent have a higher risk of living in relative poverty even if their parents are working.
The study also finds that, while the United States spends more on its children than every other OECD nation, it lags behind in spending on early-childhood education. The findings indicate that in the United States, public spending on child welfare and education totals an average of $160,000 per child through age 18, compared with the OECD average of $149,000.