This paper examines the key characteristics of single parents through descriptive and comparative perspectives. Our analyses suggest that the experiences and needs of single-parent households differ according to the age of both the parent and child, and that the vast majority of such households are single-mother households. The analysis shows that younger mothers and mothers with young children are the least-employed parent groups, and that this is exacerbated for single mothers. This is relevant to policy considerations, as the age composition of single-parent households also differs from nation to nation.