Rise in single mothers reflects changing face of Chinese families

Once defined by tradition, the concept of a modern family in China is evolving as more women choose to navigate life as single mothers, with independence as their compass.

Along the way they are redefining motherhood, balancing responsibility with freedom, and proving that fulfillment comes in many forms.

Four years ago, there were approximately 30 million single mothers in China, according to statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. In families in which the parents divorced, only one in six fathers chooses to raise their children, meaning that 83 percent of these families are headed by single mothers, the data showed.

"The rising divorce rate is largely driven by women's increasing self-awareness and emotional disconnection in the digital age, yet society's support for single mothers remains insufficient," said Li Jiao, a counseling psychologist.

Almost two in three, or 64.6 percent, of single mothers are hesitant to disclose their single-parent status, according to the 2018 Living Conditions and Needs of Single Mothers in Ten Cities report. This is primarily due to concerns about being judged or criticized by those around them, the respondents said.

When it came to openly acknowledging that their children were from a single-parent family, 50.5 percent of single mothers worried that their child might be perceived as flawed, while 37.7 percent were concerned their child would be excluded by their classmates.

"Single mothers face several key psychological challenges after divorce: internalized self-doubt due to societal bias, emotional withdrawal from the loss of a partner, and deep guilt over their children's well-being," said Li.

She believes to better support single mothers post-divorce, society needs to redefine family norms, establish relevant community services, implement government-led psychological counseling hotlines, and introduce preventive interventions.