1. Family and household structure
Joan Garrod
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2. Families and households
It is important to know the difference between a family and a household. The Office for National Statistics gives the following definitions: Family A family is a married, civil-partnered or cohabiting couple with or without children, or a lone parent, with at least one child, who live at the same address. Children may be dependent (16 or under) or non-dependent. Household A household is one person living alone, or a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address who share cooking facilities and share a living room, sitting room or dining area. A household can consist of more than one family, or no families in the case of a group of unrelated people.
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3. Families and households
There have been many changes to family and household structures over the past 50 years or so. You do not necessarily have to remember all the relevant numbers and percentages (though it is always useful to be able to quote a few), but you need to be aware of the major changes and predicted trends.
Some of the major changes have occurred in the following areas:
Marriage and cohabitation
Divorce
Lone parenthood
The birth rate
The rise in single-person households
Be aware that not all social groups are affected equally by all changes — there are differences by social class, generation and ethnic group.
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4. Families by family type, 2016
There were 18.9 million families in the UK in The most common type was married (opposite sex or same sex) or civil-partnership couples.
Source: Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics
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5. Household size
The most common form of household in 2016 contained two people.
One-person households — 28%
Two-person households — 35%
Three-person households — 16%
Four or more person households — 21%
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6. Single-person households
It is expected that there will be a steep increase in the number of people living alone.
Predictions are that by 2033 there will be 11.3 million people living alone, forming 41% of all
households in England.
In 1961, only 12% of households were single-person households.
The growth of lone households is, and is expected to continue to be, particularly noticeable
among older people.
The number of people over 65 living on their own is expected to grow from 3 million in 2008 to
4.8 million in 2033.
With regard to those over 85, the numbers living alone are predicted to grow from 573,000 in
2008 to 1.4 million in 2033.
(Source: The King’s Fund)
Questions
What reasons can you suggest for the growth in lone-person households among the elderly?
What are the implications for families and for society of the growth of older people living alone?
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7. Single-person households — projection
Single-person household projections, England (2008–33)
Source: Communities and Local Government Report 2010
Question
What reasons can you suggest for the predicted growth in lone households among those aged 35–54?
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8. Marriage There have been significant changes in patterns of marriage.
The overall trend for the number of marriages is downward. There were 240,854 marriages in
2013, a decrease of 8.6% compared to the previous year. Over three-quarters of couples were marrying
for the first time.
Seventy-two percent of these marriages were civil, rather than religious, ceremonies.
More people are choosing to postpone marriage, or not to marry.
For women born in 1940, 91% were married by the age of 30
For women born in 1960, the figure was 77%
For women born in 1980, the figure was 37%
However, as the mean (average) age of marriage is rising, some women, especially those
born in 1980, may go on to marry.
For example, for women born in 1970, by the age of 40, 71% were, or had been, married.
The average age of marriage in 2013 was 36.7 for men and 34.3 for women.
Question
Suggest three reasons for the increase in the average age at marriage.
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9. Number of marriages and marriage rates in England and Wales (1933–2013)
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10. Marriage and social policy
Changes in social policy can affect marriage rates. The previous slide referred to the Certificate of Approval scheme. This was part of the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004, and was designed to prevent the use of marriage to get around UK immigration control (so-called ‘sham marriages’). It was abolished in 2011, making it easier for legitimate marriages of persons subject to immigration controls to take place.
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