A third of working mothers are now the main breadwinners in their families, taking a lead on family finances and future planning.
A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) showed that more than 2.2 million women are now the main source of income in their households - a rise of 83% since 1996/97.
This means one in three working mothers is the primary breadwinner for their family, either because they earn more or the same as their partners or because they provide a household's sole income, the IPPR said.
The authors of the report, Condition of Britain, said: "This change is due to a higher rate of female employment, changes in family structures, and shifts in men's employment - especially the employment of low-paid men, whose wages have largely stagnated."
The report found a wide regional disparity in the number of families where women earn more or the same as their partners.
Scotland had the highest level of maternal breadwinning, at 32%, with 31% in Wales and the north-east and the north-west of England. This compares with just 26% in the east of England and the south-west and 27% in London and the South East.
