Households in the UK have a lone step-father

FOI reference: FOI-2025-2555

You asked

Please state how many households in the UK have a lone father and where all of the children are not biologically his.

We said

Thank you for your freedom of information request. 

Families and households in the UK: 2023 released in May 2024 shows that lone fathers accounted for 15% (477,000) of the 3.2 million lone-parent families in 2023; lone-father families were more likely to include adult children only (52%) than lone-mother families (34%). 

The families and households estimates are produced using the April to June quarter of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) (household dataset). However, there has been no analysis on parental relationship status (whether the father is the biological parent, step-parent, etc) so we are unable to answer your specific question. 

Census 2021 can provide the number of households where the Household Reference Person (HRP) is a male lone parent, but not whether the parent is the biological father. Please see the associated download named 'England and Wales, Household composition (6 categories) and Sex (2 categories)'. This was downloaded using our create a custom dataset tool. 

It may be possible to provide further aggregations as bespoke analysis via our commissioned tables service. The Census Commissioned Outputs team provides ad hoc tables and data in response to user requests. 

The creation of ad hoc tables is constrained by the data, by the availability of skilled staff to compile them, by any similarities to what the ONS has already released or plans to release, and by statistical disclosure control. Information on how to commission a table can be found here.  A copy of the order form which details the scale of charges for this service, is also linked. Census Commissioned Tables team are responsible for estimating costs and delivery times for newly commissioned tables. Please note that any table commissioned will have to pass our strict Statistical Disclosure Control process to ensure there is no risk of disclosure of personal information in the table.  

You may be interested in Families in England and Wales: Census 2021 which provides analysis of change since 2011 and geography of family types: lone parent; multi-generational; same-sex couple; multi-family households; and children with a second parental address.

The UK censuses are run separately by each National Statistics Office (Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA), National Records of Scotland (NRS), and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for both England and Wales).

Contact details for NRS and NISRA: 

NATIONAL RECORDS OF SCOTLAND  

Tel:    0131 3144299  

Email: statisticscustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk  

Website: www.nrscotland.gov.uk 

NORTHERN IRELAND STATISTICS & RESEARCH AGENCY 

Tel:   02890 255156 

Email: census@nisra.gov.uk  

Website: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/census