Between 1971 and 1991 there was a decline in the average size of household in Great Britain, from 2.91 persons to 2.48. It continued to decline though at a slower rate throughout the next decade, falling to 2.32 by 1998. Since then it has remained fairly constant. In 2002 the average number of persons per household was 2.31.
Since 1971 there have also been changes in the composition of households. In particular, these have included an increase in the proportion of one-person households, and of households headed by a lone parent.
Between 1971 and 1998, the overall proportion of one-person households almost doubled from 17 per cent to 31 per cent, and the proportion of households consisting of one person aged 16 to 59 tripled from 5 per cent to 15 per cent.
Over the last five years there have been no statistically significant changes in the overall proportion of adults living in one-person households, and among people aged 65 and over the proportion living alone has remained relatively stable since the mid-1980s.
Households by household type, Great Britain, 1979 and 2002
The proportion of households containing a married or cohabiting couple with dependent children declined from just under one third of all households (31 per cent) in 1979 to just over one fifth (21 per cent) in 2002.
By comparison, the proportion of households with dependent children headed by a lone parent rose from 4 per cent of all households in 1979 to 7 per cent in 1993. It has remained relatively constant since then.
For more detailed information, please download the Households, families & people PDF on the right-hand side of the page.
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Families with Dependent Children