The number of single parents in Hong Kong fell in 2016, according to the 2016 Population By-census published today.

There were 73,428 single parents in Hong Kong in 2016. The number of both single mothers and single fathers declined that year compared to 2011. The number of single mothers dropped 11.7% while the number of single fathers decreased 4.4%.

There were 56,545 single mothers in 2016, more than three times the number of single fathers, which was 16,883. Nearly 75 % of single parents were aged 30 to 49.

The level of educational attainment of single parents improved substantially in the past decade. The proportion of single parents with only primary education and below dropped from 23.6% in 2006 to 12.8% in 2016, while those with post-secondary education went up from 10.4% to 20.9% over the same period.

The median monthly income of working single fathers was $15,500, while that of working single mothers was $12,000.

Single parents are defined as mothers or fathers who have never been married, widowed, divorced or separated, with a child or children aged under 18 living with them in the same household.

Click here for the 2016 Population By-census Thematic Report: Single Parents.