In 2001, 10 per cent of all families with dependent children in the UK were stepfamilies. Stepfamilies are couple families with stepchildren or with step and natural children to both parents.
In 2001 there were 0.7 million stepfamilies with dependent children living in households in the UK – 0.4 million were married couple stepfamilies and 0.3 million were cohabiting couple stepfamilies.
There is a tendency for children to stay with their mother following the break-up of a partnership. Over 80 per cent of stepfamilies consisted of a natural mother and a stepfather.
In 2001, 38 per cent of all cohabiting couple families with dependent children were stepfamilies, compared with 8 per cent of married couple families with dependent children.
Married couple stepfamilies were more likely than cohabiting couple stepfamilies to have natural children in the family as well as stepchildren, 57 per cent compared with 35 per cent in 2001.
Stepfamilies were generally larger than non-stepfamilies, 27 per cent of stepfamilies had three or more dependent children compared with 18 per cent non-stepfamilies. Both married and cohabiting couple stepfamilies were larger than non-stepfamilies.
Sources: Census, 2001, Office for National Statistics; General Register Office for Scotland; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
Notes:
Family: a married/cohabiting couple with or without child(ren), or a lone-parent with child(ren). Cohabiting couples includes same sex couples.
Dependent children: aged under 16 in a household, or 16-18 in full-time education in a family.
The 2001 Census was the first census which allowed the identification of stepfamilies – a stepfamily is one where there is a child (or children) who belongs to only one member of the married or cohabiting couple. By definition a stepfamily must contain at least one child but a stepfamily with dependent children may be defined as such by the presence of a non-dependent stepchild.
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