Around *** million families in the United States had three or more children under 18 living in the household in 2023. In that same year, about ***** million households had no children under 18 living in the household.

The average American family in 2023 consisted of 3.15 persons. Families in the United States According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. As of 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau counted about 84.33 million families in the United States. The average family consisted of 3.15 persons in 2021, down from 3.7 in the 1960s. This is reflected in the decrease of children in family households overall. In 1970, about 56 percent of all family households had children under the age of 18 living in the household. This percentage declined to about 40 percent in 2020. The average size of a family household varies greatly from state to state. The largest average families can be found in Utah, California, and Hawaii, while the smallest families can be found in Wisconsin, Vermont and Maine.

Families of tax filers; Census families by total income, family type and number of children (final T1 Family File; T1FF).

Australia Average Number of Dependent Children in Household: Multiple Family data was reported at 1.200 Person in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.400 Person for 2018. Australia Average Number of Dependent Children in Household: Multiple Family data is updated yearly, averaging 1.300 Person from Jun 2004 (Median) to 2020, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.500 Person in 2016 and a record low of 1.200 Person in 2020. Australia Average Number of Dependent Children in Household: Multiple Family data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.H039: Survey of Income and Housing: Average Number of Dependent Children in Household: by Family Composition.

Pakistan Average Number per Household: Children data was reported at 2.770 Person in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.800 Person for 2014. Pakistan Average Number per Household: Children data is updated yearly, averaging 2.880 Person from Jun 2002 (Median) to 2016, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.310 Person in 2002 and a record low of 2.770 Person in 2016. Pakistan Average Number per Household: Children data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Pakistan – Table PK.H005: Household Integrated Economic Survey: Average Numbers per Household.

In 2021, the average size of families in Utah was 3.51 people, the largest out of any state. California, Hawaii, Texas, and Alaska rounded out the top five states with the largest average family size in that year. Nationwide, the average family size was 3.15 people.

Australia Average Number of Dependent Children in Household: One Family: Couple with Dependent Children data was reported at 1.900 Person in 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.900 Person for 2018. Australia Average Number of Dependent Children in Household: One Family: Couple with Dependent Children data is updated yearly, averaging 1.900 Person from Jun 2003 (Median) to 2020, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.000 Person in 2008 and a record low of 1.900 Person in 2020. Australia Average Number of Dependent Children in Household: One Family: Couple with Dependent Children data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.H039: Survey of Income and Housing: Average Number of Dependent Children in Household: by Family Composition.

Japan JP: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data was reported at 1.300 Person in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.290 Person for 2020. Japan JP: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.375 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.530 Person in 1991 and a record low of 1.270 Person in 2005. Japan JP: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: OECD Member: Annual.

According to a survey conducted in July 2023 in France, more than ********* of French people without children, aged between 25 and 43, believed the ideal number of children a family should have was two, and ** percent thought the ideal number was just one. Only ***** percent believed it was ideal to have four or more children. On the other hand, for ** percent of those surveyed, it was ideal for a family to have no children at all. In 2022, **** percent of French families had two children.

Families of tax filers; Census families by age of older partner or parent and number of children (final T1 Family File; T1FF).

Average number of children per household by working status within households and household composition

Data on census family structure, presence of children, and average number of persons per census family, for census families, Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2021, 2016 and 2011 censuses.

Switzerland Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data was reported at 1.490 Person in 2021. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.490 Person for 2020. Switzerland Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.490 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.580 Person in 1991 and a record low of 1.380 Person in 2003. Switzerland Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Switzerland – Table CH.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: OECD Member: Annual.

Table Corrections: Date Note On August 11, 2021, a correction was made to the values associated with the total income concept for 2019. Footnotes: 1 The data source for this table is the final version of the T1 Family File, created by the Centre for Income and Socio-Economic Well-being Statistics of Statistics Canada. Because they are based on a different methodology, estimates of the number of individuals and census families presented in this table differ from estimates produced by the Centre for Demography. Information on the data source, the historical availability, definitions of the terms used, and the geographies available can be found at Technical Reference Guide for the Annual Income Estimates for Census Families Individuals and Seniors - opens in a new browser window." 2 Families are comprised of: 1) couples (married or common-law, including same-sex couples) living in the same dwelling with or without children, and 2) single parents (male or female) living with one or more children. Persons who are not matched to a family become persons not in census families. They may be living alone, with a family to whom they are related, with a family to whom they are unrelated or with other persons not in census families. Beginning in 2001, same-sex couples reporting as couples are counted as couple families. 3 A couple family consists of a couple living together (married or common-law, including same-sex couples) living at the same address with or without children. Beginning in 2001, same-sex couples reporting as couples are counted as couple families. 4 A lone-parent family is a family with only one parent, male or female, and with at least one child. 5 This table should only be used in conjunction with income statistics produced using the T1 Family File. Because the counts available in this table are based on a different methodology, the family and person counts will differ from estimates produced by the Centre for Demography. 6 The Census Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) is used for data dissemination of the census metropolitan areas and the census agglomerations: from 1997 to 2001, SGC 1996; from 2002 to 2006, SGC 2001; from 2007 to 2011, SGC 2006; from 2012 to 2015, SGC 2011; as of 2016, SGC 2016. Please note that census agglomerations were introduced in this CANSIM table in 2008. 7 Children are tax filers or imputed persons in couple and lone-parent families. Tax filing children do not live with their spouse, have no children of their own and live with their parent(s). Most children are identified from the Canada Child Tax Benefit file, a provincial births file or a previous T1 family file. 8 Characteristics such as age are as of December 31 of the reference year.

Uganda UG: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data was reported at 4.580 Person in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.690 Person for 2020. Uganda UG: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 6.525 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.040 Person in 1990 and a record low of 4.580 Person in 2021. Uganda UG: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: Non OECD Member: Annual.

Key figures on fertility, live and stillborn children and multiple births among inhabitants of The Netherlands.

Available selections: - Live born children by sex; - Live born children by age of the mother (31 December), in groups; - Live born children by birth order from the mother; - Live born children by marital status of the mother; - Live born children by country of birth of the mother and origin country of the mother; - Stillborn children by duration of pregnancy; - Births: single and multiple; - Average number of children per female; - Average number of children per male; - Average age of the mother at childbirth by birth order from the mother; - Average age of the father at childbirth by birth order from the mother; - Net replacement factor.

CBS is in transition towards a new classification of the population by origin. Greater emphasis is now placed on where a person was born, aside from where that person’s parents were born. The term ‘migration background’ is no longer used in this regard. The main categories western/non-western are being replaced by categories based on continents and a few countries that share a specific migration history with the Netherlands. The new classification is being implemented gradually in tables and publications on population by origin.

Data available from: 1950 Most of the data is available as of 1950 with the exception of the live born children by country of birth of the mother and origin country of the mother (from 2021, previous periods will be added at a later time), stillborn children by duration of pregnancy (24+) (from 1991), average number of children per male (from 1996) and the average age of the father at childbirth (from 1996).

Status of the figures: All data recorded in this publication are final data.

Changed on 15 augustus 2025: The 2023 figures on stillbirths and (multiple) births are final. Final figures of 2024 have been added.

When will new figures be published? In the third quarter of 2026 final figures of 2025 will be published in this publication.

Singapore SG: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data was reported at 0.940 Person in 2023. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.940 Person for 2022. Singapore SG: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.070 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.580 Person in 1990 and a record low of 0.930 Person in 2010. Singapore SG: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Singapore – Table SG.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: Non OECD Member: Annual.

This statistic shows the average number of children per female in the Netherlands from 1950 to 2022. In 2022, women in the Netherlands had an average of approximately 1.49 children. That was less than half the number of children women in 1950 had. As this statistic on the average number of children per female in the Netherlands in the past ten years shows, this number has been relatively stable in recent years, around 1.6 to 1.7 children per female. The same applies to the average number of children per male in the last ten years, which can be viewed here. Both men and women in the Netherlands had an average of 1.6 to 1.7 children, although the average for women seemed slightly higher in the most recent years.

Households among all the decile groups had an average of 0.4 to 0.6 children per household. Average children per household in the top decile group was 0.4. This was the lowest average for any decile group displaying the average number of children per household in the United Kingdom in 2019/20.

United States US: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.800 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.843 Ratio for 2015. United States US: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 2.002 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.654 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 1.738 Ratio in 1976. United States US: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: it can indicate the status of women within households and a woman’s decision about the number and spacing of children.