The Power of One? Poverty and Union Formation among Single Mothers in Sweden, 1947-2015

Maria Stanfors, Centre for Economic Demography/Dept of Economic History, Lund University
Gabriel Brea-Martinez, Centre for Economic Demography-Economic History Lund University

Single mothers have fewer resources than partnered mothers with implications for their well-being and their children’s future. We use individual-level data from the Scanian Economic and Demographic Database (SEDD) between 1947 and 2015 to examine demographic patterns and consequences of single motherhood in Sweden. Specifically, we explore how poverty, single motherhood, and union formation after childbirth are interconnected and whether the economic disadvantages associated with single motherhood have changed over time. The study considers significant sociodemographic shifts over nearly 70 years, including changes in marriage and childbearing norms, reduced stigma around single motherhood, increased female independence, and greater welfare state support. We hypothesize that single motherhood was more negatively correlated with income in the past compared to today, and that financial disadvantage accumulated more before 1975. Preliminary findings indicate that low-income women have consistently been more likely to become single mothers. However, a growing proportion of never-married single mothers are now marrying or cohabiting within 10 years of childbirth, often with higher socioeconomic status. Despite these changes, single mothers continue to face significant financial challenges and results underscore the need for policies to improve the well-being of single mothers and their children in contemporary Sweden.

Keywords: Fertility, Families, Unions and Households, Gender Dynamics, Longitudinal studies

See extended abstract.