Labour MP Chris Agius told Parliament yesterday that 3,399 single parents receive social benefits.

Speaking during the Bill to approve the budget estimates for 2014, Mr Agius said that of these 3,356 were women: 2,282 had one child, 810 had two, 202 had four, 13 had five, three had six and one even had seven children.

Of the 43 men, 37 had one child, three had two and the other three also had three.

Last year there were 185 children born to single mothers who declared the father was “unknown”.