Separated families
Estimated families with a parent providing main day-to-day care and a parent living elsewhere.
The numbers.
The lives behind them.
Evidence helps explain why support matters. Each figure below has its own population, period and limits.
Sources checked 30 September 2026 · Recent releases alongside clearly dated older evidence
Children in those families
Biological or adopted children under 16, or under 20 in full-time non-tertiary education.
DWP: Separated families statistics · Published 26 March 2026 · Survey-based, rounded estimates.
These are counts of separated families, not counts of estranged families, court cases or children with no contact.
Adult wellbeing · UK · April 2022–March 2023Separation and
Separation and
emotional wellbeing.
Older evidence, shown with its original dates. These findings concern adults by marital status, not specifically parents separated from children.
| Measure | Separated adults | Married adults |
|---|---|---|
| High anxiety | 30.6% | 20.5% |
| Low life satisfaction | 12.0% | 3.3% |
ONS found poorer self-reported wellbeing among separated adults. This association does not establish separation as the cause. Health, income and other circumstances also matter.
ONS: Personal well-being in the UK, Figure 7 · Published 7 November 2023. Low life satisfaction: 0–4 out of 10. High anxiety: 6–10 out of 10.
Why use older wellbeing figures?
ONS paused this detailed release because of Annual Population Survey quality challenges. APS statistics are designated official statistics in development. These figures provide dated context, not a current estimate for 2026.
Saw their non-resident parent regularly
“Regularly” means at least fortnightly during term time. DWP’s measure uses resident parents’ responses to the Understanding Society survey.
This does not mean the other 44% had no contact. It does not explain contact arrangements or establish whether contact would be safe.
DWP: Parental Conflict Indicator 2011 to 2022 · Published 12 March 2025.
Children kept out of relative low income
Estimated net annual impact of child maintenance after housing costs, averaged over the financial years ending 2023–2025.
Relative low income means below 60% of median equivalised household income. This estimate is rounded to the nearest 20,000.
DWP: Separated families statistics, Table 1 · Published 26 March 2026.
Children’s wellbeingLook at the
Look at the
circumstances, too.
DWP’s evidence guidance links frequent, intense and unresolved parental conflict with risks to children’s mental health, behaviour, friendships and learning.
This is evidence about harmful conflict, including within families living together. It does not establish that every separation harms children.
For this project, the practical aim is support which respects children’s safety, reduces pressure and helps adults find appropriate advice. Reconnection should never override safeguarding.
DWP: Reducing Parental Conflict, the impact on children · Guidance published 18 January 2021.
Mental health deserves attention
Read the figures with care.
- Different populations: Great Britain excludes Northern Ireland. UK figures include it.
- Different dates: publication dates are not the same as the periods measured.
- Different concepts: separation, divorce, estrangement and loss of contact are not interchangeable.
- Survey estimates: figures have sampling uncertainty and are not exact counts.
- Individual circumstances: population statistics do not prove anything about a particular family or dispute.