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More couple families without dependent children
Most people who lived in a private dwelling in Australia in 2007 lived in
a family household (87%), and one in 10 people lived alone, according to
a new report on families from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The number of couple families without dependent children rose 30% over
the last 10 years (from 44% of all families in 1997 to 48% in 2007). The
proportion of families that were couple families with dependent children
fell from 40% of all families in 1997 to 37% in 2007. There has also been
a slight fall in the proportion of one parent families with dependent
children (9% of all families in 2007).
The majority (65%) of adults (18 years and over) were in a couple
relationship, either in a registered marriage or a de facto marriage. De
facto marriage was more common for those aged under 35 years.
Other results from the survey include:
Of couple families with dependent children, 63% had both parents
employed. About one-third (34%) of lone mothers with young
children (aged under 5 years) were employed, mostly part-time.
For lone mothers whose youngest child was a dependent student
aged 15 to 24 years, 71% were employed, mostly full-time. There
were 607,000 dependent children (12% of all dependent children)
living in families without an employed parent.
Seven percent (7%) of families with children under 18 years were
step or blended families. There were one million children aged
under 18 years (22% of all children under 18 years) with a parent
living in another household and 43% of these children had frequent
contact (at least once a fortnight) with that parent. More than one in
four children (28%) either rarely (less than once a year) or never
saw the parent living elsewhere.
Fifteen percent (15%) of all adults reported that while they were
children (under 18 years of age) their parents had either divorced or
separated.
Just under half (47%) of young adults aged 18 to 24 years had
never left home and 14% of adults 25 to 34 years had never left
home, for financial reasons, or the convenience or enjoyment of
living with their parents. Main reasons for moving out of home
were to live with their partner or to get married, to study, or for
work.
Results can be found in Family Characteristics and Transitions,
Australia, 2007 (cat. no. 4442.0) available free of charge from the ABS
and selected tables at the state and territory level, will be available on the
ABS website from June 2008.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Media requests and comment
Bernie Fitzpatrick (02) 6252 5776; 0419 876 725
Kris Leggo (02) 6252 5124; 0438 501 169
Statistical clarification
Heather Crawford (02) 6252 5742
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