Single Mothers by Choice? Trends in Single Mothers’ Socio-Economic Profiles and Mode of Conception in Belgium, 1996-2020

Christine Schnor , UCLouvain

The increasing socioeconomic stratification of single motherhood has been an important topic in family research. In particular, single motherhood at birth is seen as a situation related to disadvantage. Recently, a relatively new form of single motherhood has emerged: mothers who are single and decide to become a parent through assisted reproduction. Such ‘Single Mothers by Choice’ are argued to be often highly educated, in well paid jobs, and well-abled to provide both financial and social support to their children. This development might change the profile, and possibly views, related to single motherhood. However, detailed investigations on the changing trends in the socio-economic characteristics of single mothers at birth are missing. In this paper, we will fill this gap by using Belgian population data (population registers, birth certificates, census) that includes information on the living arrangement of the mother, the biological father, and the mode of conception. Unpartnered women have in Belgium easy access to fertility treatments. First, we will identify single mothers at birth; then, we reconstruct the mothers’ partnership trajectory. Subsequently, we use information on the ‘mode of conception’ to distinguish different single mother types.

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 Presented in Session P1. Postercafe