Only two-thirds of British children live with both parents

[alp227]

The analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that 68.9% of children live with both parents in the UK, well below the average of 84%. The lowest percentage was in Latvia at 64.9%, while the highest was in Finland where it stood at 95.2%.

The UK percentage is low in contrast with other western European countries, such as Germany (82%), Italy (92.1%), Spain (91.5%) and France (79.5%). In the 70.7% of children live with both parents.

full: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/dec/29/two-thirds-british-children-live-parents

[ret5hd]

1. damn commie countries, showing us up and all that. (nt)

[Igel]

2. In the US, the average is about the same as in Britain.

Average living with two parents is far higher for Asians, somewhat higher for whites, a bit lower than the British average for Latinos, and a bit more than half of the average for blacks.

Family structure is highly correlated with academic achievement. Less well correlated with income (many of those Latinos are fairly low on the SES ladder), with there being a causal connection relating family structure to an increase in the father's annual income.

[MADem]

3. What are they saying, here?

Some kids live with their mother part time, and their father part time--is this a kid who lives with "both parents?"

It's not really clear--there's a mention of "traditional nuclear family" but they didn't specify.

I think parents who divorce should buy their kids a house, and if they share custody, the parents should move in/out and leave the children in situ. Much easier than forcing the poor kids to pack up and move every other weekend/summer/holiday.

[SoCalDem]

4. Mom, Dad, kids under the same roof all the time is "traditional"

divorced/separated/never-married..are the part time options

[MADem]

5. I had neighbors with two kids who never married, they lived together under the same roof, though.

In fact, I knew a couple of families like that--Catholic exiles from Ireland, they were, who had spouses they left behind.

[SoCalDem]

6. there are always exceptions to the "rule"

and in a practical sense, if neighbors say they are married, do you ask to see their marriage certificate?

for statistical research, the "paperwork" is probably part of their data

We had friends in New Mexico who finally got married after 17 years & 3 kids.. we all thought they WERE married until they told us they had slipped away to Vegas & made it legal

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. "not married but living together" would count as a 'nuclear family'

It doesn't talk about marriage at all; it does say "a household with both their father and mother".

Only 53% of children were born to married couples in 2010; 31% were to cohabiting but unmarried couples: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-demography/families-and-households/2012/cohabitation-rpt.html#tab-39-per-cent-of-opposite-sex-cohabiting-couples-have-dependent-children