筆者過去曾經以1990年普查百分之一隨機樣本，以及採用1990年代的「家庭收支調查」原始資料，分析台灣地區單親戶以及單親兒少的數量與比例。鑒於當下電腦容量與計算功能的提昇以及兩千年普查的完成，筆者重新分析1990普查完整原始資料並與2000年普查資料的分析結果加以比較；並配合1991-1999「家庭收支調查」資料的分析，嘗試來描繪台灣1990-2000年單親戶的變遷。此外，由於普查資料龐大，不僅可以針對單親類別來分析，關於單親戶與單親兒少之數量與比例也可按行政地區來分別計算。循過去的經驗，本文也提供單親戶不同的操作定義，作為計算的依據，相信本文所提供的訊息將可作為台灣地區單親戶的基礎資料，為相關政策制定以及單親家庭相關研究的參考；當然，也可以提供跨國比較的數據。 研究發現，以廣義單親戶來說，台灣地區兩千年普查當中有277,557單親戶，佔總住戶4.3%，佔總家戶之5.5%，佔有兒少家戶之9.4%；其中有80,986為祖孫戶，將近佔單親戶的三分之一，也是十年來增加最多的單親戶種類。兩千年單親兒少有443,540人，佔總兒少數約百分之八，相較於1990年普查呈現單親兒少325,576人，佔總兒少數約百分之五，數量與比例均顯著增加；此一方面是因為單親戶數量增加，另一方面乃為少子化的趨勢。比較1990與2000年單親戶特性，男女單親比仍是四比六，並沒有改變；可是來自於離婚的單親，不論男女都是最大宗，且十年間明顯增加。至於地區間的差異，雖然單親戶與單親兒少比例與都市化程度都是成正比，以個別地區來比較，台東花蓮地區的單親戶與單親兒少比例，總冠全台。

This research investigates the trend of single-parent families in Taiwan between 1991-2000. Using data from the 1990 and the 2000 census data, the author depicts the number and the proportion of single-parent families over total households, family households and households with dependent children, respectively. In 1990, there were 174 thousand single-parent households. This figure increased to 197 thousand in 2000 and accounted for around 3 percent of total households or 6.7 percent of households with dependent children. Among them, sixty percent of households were headed by lone mothers. This paper also points out that households with only grand parents and grand children living together increased from 39 thousand to 81 thousand. By comparing with three different administrative units, the localities with higher degree of urbanization showed higher proportion of single-parent families, and children living with lone parents as well. However, Taitung and Hualien were found with the highest proportion of single-parent families and children living with lone parents across the island in both years.