Lone Mothers’ Poverty in Europe: The cases of Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Sweden

Lone mothers have received particular attention in family policy studies as a growing group, living in disadvantaged conditions with high poverty risks. Elisabetta Ruspini analyses lone mothers' poverty risks in five European countries and finds huge variations. Countries strongly supporting female employment, like the Scandinavian countries and countries with well-developed family policies like Belgium (or France), show lower poverty risks than countries in which both integration into the labour force and family benefits are less developed, like in Britain.