Single parent families and social security - the case of Sweden

Single parent families are the focus for family / social policy in most industrialised countries. In this paper we discuss the Swedish experience and present several new results. First we give new insight into the dynamics of single parenthood by reporting results from analyses based on the Swedish Family Survey. Second we summarise what can be learned about the economic well-being of single parent families using the Household Income Survey. Finally we return to the Swedish Family Survey in order to analyse the long-run consequences of growing up in a single parent family.