A summary of changes over time
Families with dependent children
Families with dependent children by family type: Great Britain, 1971 to 2002
As well as measuring changes in the composition of households, the GHS also provides information about the composition of families. The two measures have followed similar trends over time.
There has been a decline in the proportion of families headed by a married or cohabiting couple and a corresponding increase in the proportion headed by a lone parent. In 2002 73 per cent of families in Great Britain consisted of a married or cohabiting couple and their dependent children. This is a proportion that has declined steadily since 1971, when 92 per cent of families were of this type.
The large growth in the proportion of lone-parent families (from 8 per cent of families in 1971 to over a quarter of families [27 percent] in 2002) has mainly been among families headed by a lone mother. Lone-father families have accounted for 1 to 3 per cent of families since 1971, whereas the percentage of lone-mother families has risen from 7 in 1971 to 24 per cent in 2002.
The percentage of families headed by mothers who have never married (i.e. single) has risen from 1 in 1971 to 12 per cent in 2002. The percentage of families headed by mothers who were previously married, and are now divorced, widowed or separated, has risen from 6 to 12 per cent during the same period.
For more detailed information, please download the Households, families & people PDF on the right-hand side of the page.
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Households