Spatial clustering patterns of children in single-mother households in Japan

We examine spatial clustering patterns of children living in single-mother households in Japan, where poverty risk among these children is extremely high. Our analysis employs spatial panel data at the municipal level in 2000, 2005, and 2010. The Global and Local Moran’s I statistics reveal significant spatial clustering of children in single-mother households. The spatial clusters of these children are located mostly in Hokkaido and western Japan. The spatial clustering patterns of younger children (under the age of 6) and older children (aged 6–18) are similar, but the older children are more spatially clustered. Moreover, from 2000 to 2010, the number of significant spatial clusters of high proportions of children in single-mother households (high-high clusters) increased for the older children but decreased for the younger children. These results suggest that the older children in single-mother households are more residentially clustered, and this trend intensified over the 10-year period. The results of the spatial fixed-effects models indicate that the proportions of children in single-mother households are high in areas with low income and a high out-migration rate. The spatial fixed-effects models exhibit the presence of significant indirect effects (spillover effects), suggesting the importance of addressing spatial dependency. The results of this study can help identify areas that need policy attention.