Though nuclear families are the norm in India, the percentage of single-mother households is on the rise, according to the United Nation's Progress of the World's Women 2019 report. In India, there are far fewer women in the workforce compared to all other regions.
Society dynamics
Nuclear families (couple with children) form the highest % of households. Extended families (one or more parents or relatives) are also common. There are more single-mother households (5.4%) than single-father households.
The changing household
As the nuclear family system has gained traction, the percentage of ‘couple only’ families has increased. The percentage of single mothers too has increased, corresponding to increasing rates of divorce in the country.
Participation in the workforce
Over half the unmarried women aged 25-54 are part of the labour force. This proportion halves when they are married, possibly due to family constraints or requirements. A higher % of married men than single men are part of the labour force, which means that marriage does not affect their participation.
Global low
Central and Southern Asia have the lowest percentage of women in the labour force, irrespective of their marital status. All the figures indicate percentage of women who are part of the workforce.