Solo Struggle: Material Deprivation among Single-Parent Households in Türkiye

Abstract

Single-parent households, particularly those led by women, face elevated levels of material deprivation. This study examines material deprivation among women-headed single-parent households in Türkiye using panel data from the Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (2018–2021) and employs censored fixed-effects quantile regression to capture distributional heterogeneity. A material deprivation index is constructed to reflect the distinct challenges faced by these households, thereby addressing a notable gap in the literature. The results reveal that the effects of sociodemographic characteristics, such as age, education, and employment status, vary substantially across the material deprivation distribution. In particular, older, less-educated, unemployed, or retired women tend to be more affected at medium-high and high levels of deprivation. These results highlight the necessity of tailored policy interventions that consider the heterogeneity of deprivation experiences among single mothers, especially those experiencing the most severe forms of deprivation.

JEL: I32, J12, C23