What are the current social problems and their root causes in the UK?

1. Single parent families, bus fare hikes and civil partnerships are among the markers of Britain's changing society. The government's Social Trends Report 2007 is the latest snapshot of life in the UK - and has revealed some surprising findings .

The number of single-parent families, increased bus fares and same-sex cohabitation have become the most significant social problems in the UK. The "2007 Social Trends Report" recently released by the British government shows the latest living conditions of British people, and some of the phenomena revealed are quite shocking.

2. The report found nearly a quarter of all British children now living in single parent families. The finding is also marked by race - in black Caribbean families 48% of children living with one parent compared to 10% of children raised in Indian families.

The survey report found that currently, nearly a quarter of British children live in single-parent families. The problem has a racial dimension: 48% of black immigrant children from the Caribbean coast live in single-parent families, compared with only 10% of immigrant children from India.

3. As the number of single parent families increases, so does the number of households. In spring 2006 there were 24.2 million households in Great Britain, an increase of 30% since 1971. Over the same period, the population of Great Britain increased by only 8%.

While the number of single-parent families is increasing, the total number of British families is also increasing. In the spring of 2006, there were 24.2 million households in the UK, 30% more than in 1971. During this period, the UK population increased by only 8%.

4. More households mean more waste - but at least Britons are getting better at recycling. There was a threefold increase in the volume of household waste collected for recycling or composting in England between 1996/97 and 2004/ 05.

The increase in the number of households means an increase in domestic waste, but the British people’s awareness of recycling resources is increasing. Between 1996/97 and 2004/05, the amount of waste recycled or converted into fertilizer in the UK tripled.

5. With more people living alone, the demand for smaller properties is higher than ever. The proportion of newly-built homes with two bedrooms rose from 25% to 42% in England between 2001/02 and 2005 /06, replacing homes with 4 or more bedrooms as the most common type of new build.

With the increase in single people living alone, the demand for small-sized housing has increased unprecedentedly. Between 2001/02 and 2005/06, the demand rate for one-bedroom, two-living rooms increased from 20% to 42%. These smaller homes have replaced larger homes with more than four bedrooms as the new hot-selling property.

6. Children from poorer households are shown to be suffering from an increased risk of mental illness. Eighteen per cent of boys and 13% of girls aged 5 to 16 in Great Britain, living in households with a gross weekly income of under ￡100, have a mental disorder.

Surveys show that children from poor families are more likely to suffer from mental illness. Among British children aged 5 to 16, 8% of boys and 13% of girls in households with a total weekly income of less than ￡100 suffer from mental illness.

7. Ethnic background continues to be a factor influencing the affluence of a family. Some 86% of children in Pakistani/Bangladeshi households in the UK were in the bottom 40% of households ranked by disposable income compared with 49% of all children.

Family ethnic background remains a key factor affecting family economic status. 86% of Pakistani or Bangladeshi migrant children living in the UK are from families with low incomes.

8. Britain's kids are safer on the roads, the report found. The UK road accident death rate for children aged 14 or under, at 1.3 per 100,000 population, was one of the lowest in Europe. Luxembourg had had the lowest recorded rate, at less than 0.1 per 100,000 population, while Poland had the highest at 3.6 per 100,000 population.

The survey found that British children are safer when playing on the road. The car crash death rate for British children under 14 is 13 per million, which is low among European countries.

9. Our kids are also more connected than ever. Around 50% of eight to 11-year-olds have their own mobile phones, the report says.

Children are connected to each other Getting in touch is easier than ever. About half of children between the ages of 8 and 11 own their own cell phone.

10. There were 15,700 same-* civil partnerships formed in the UK between December 2005 and September 2006. Of these, 93% were in England and Wales, 6% were in Scotland and 1% were in Northern Ireland.

From December 2005 to September 2006, there were 15,700 same-sex cohabiting couples in the UK. Of these, 93% live in England and Wales, 6% in Scotland and 1% in Northern Ireland.

11. An astonishing price hike of 168% hit bus and coach fares between 1997 and 2006 in the UK.

From 1997 to 2006, bus fares in the UK increased by 168% .

12. The Social Trends Report also found that Britain has never been a more attractive holiday destination. Thirty million overseas residents visited the UK in twelve months - a new high. The last peak was in 1998 with 25.7 million visitors.

The "2007 Social Trends Report" also pointed out that the UK has never been more concerned by foreign tourists than it is now. In 2006, the UK welcomed 30 million foreign tourists, a record high. The last tourism peak was in 1998, when the country welcomed 25.7 million tourists.

13. Prices may be rising, but savvy shoppers are finding bargains on the net. Between January and April 2006, 42% of adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain purchased something online in the 12 months before interview .

Rising prices have not affected the British shopping enthusiasm, and many people have begun shopping online. From January to April 2006, 42% of people over the age of 16 in the UK had made an online purchase.

14. In poorer families, however, there is little disposable income to bid away on eBay. UK households in the bottom fifth of the income distribution are spending 19% of their income on basic essentials of housing, fuel and power, compared with 7% spent by households with an income in the top fifth.

However, low-income families cannot just shop online. The survey shows that British families with the fifth-lowest household disposable income need to spend 19% of their income to pay for daily necessities such as housing, heating and electricity, while the British families with the fifth-highest household disposable income spend 19% of their income on this. Expenditures in these areas are only 7% of income.

15. Britons are living longer than ever - but we're spending more time ill. The expected number of years spent in poor health in Great Britain rose from 6.4 to 8.8 for men between 1981 and 2002, and from 10.1 to 10.6 for women.

British people are living longer than ever, but also spending more time sick. Statistics from 1981 to 2001 show that the time it takes for British men to get sick has increased from 6.4 years to 8.8 years, and for women it has increased from 10.1 years to 10.6 years.

London news: "The Guardian": A leading government health expert is quoted as saying that depression, anxiety and other forms of mental illness have surpassed unemployment as the UK's biggest social problem.

Lord Layard, emeritus professor at the London School of Economics, said 15% of Britons suffer from depression or anxiety. From the perspective of economic costs, the UK has lost up to 17 billion pounds in productivity, accounting for approximately 1.5% of the UK's GDP

Root causes: the shortcomings of British capitalism, social pressure and national policies

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