초록
This study examines household expenditure patterns for single-parent families to better understand the decision-making process and to consider the appropriateness of the decisions on monetary allocation. This study investigates the household expenditure patterns and the determinants of expenditure patterns for single-father families as compared to those for single-mother families. A series of analyses of the data, which was gathered from the 2015 Single-parent Family Survey on household expenditures, were conducted. The results show that there are differences in the household expenditure volumes and patterns between single-father families and single-mother families. Differences in the categories of expenditure and variations in the share that was allocated for each expenditure category in single-father families as compared to in single-mother families were both statistically significant. Disparities were found in seven categories of household expenditure between single-father families and single-mother families. The amount allocated from total expenditures for each expenditure category was also significantly different between single-father families and single-mother families in regards to clothing, home equipment, housing, water/light/heat costs, transportation, and telecommunication. The determinants of the total household expenditure for single-parent families were age, level of education, number of family members, public transfer, household income, assets, and debt.