One in four children in a lone parent family

The proportion of children living in single-parent families in
Great Britain tripled between 1972 and spring 2004 to almost a
quarter, according to statistics out this week.

The new figures, which are contained in review of social change
over the past 35 years published by the Office for National
Statistics, also shows that between 1971 and 2003 the number of
under 16s fell by almost a fifth.

The review goes on to predict that within 10 years there will be
more people aged 65 and over than children under 16.

Other findings show that the proportion of three and four year
olds enrolled in all schools in the United Kingdom went from almost
a fifth in 1970/71 to just under two thirds in 2003/04.

An Ageing And More Diverse Society Social Trends – 35
Years Of Social Change from: www.statistics.gov.uk/socialtrends35