In 2022, Sierra Leone had one of the largest household sizes in Africa, with an average of ** members. The Gambia and Senegal followed with approximately *** and **** members, respectively, as of 2023. In 2019, Sub-Saharan Africa was the world's region with the largest households (*** individuals), exceeding significantly the world average of *** members.

In 2019, the average household size in Sub-Saharan Africa was *** people per household, which was the largest average household size worldwide. In comparison, the smallest average household size was found in Europe, with *** people per household.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of November 2025 and will be retired in December 2026. A replacement item has not been identified at this time. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to phase out use of this item. This map shows the average household size in Sudan in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country and State). Nationally, the average household size is 5.5 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the average household size in Egypt in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country and Province). Nationally, the average household size is 3.9 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCounts of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of November 2025 and will be retired in December 2026. A replacement item has not been identified at this time. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to phase out use of this item. This map shows the average household size in South Africa in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Province, District, Municipality, Main Place, Sub Place, and Small Area). Nationally, the average household size is 3.4 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by 15-year age incrementsCount of population by marital statusThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of November 2025 and will be retired in December 2026. A replacement item has not been identified at this time. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to phase out use of this item. This map shows the average household size in Mozambique in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country and Province). Nationally, the average household size is 4.4 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCounts of population by marital status The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of November 2025 and will be retired in December 2026. A replacement item has not been identified at this time. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to phase out use of this item. This map shows the average household size in Morocco in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Region, and Province). Nationally, the average household size is 4.2 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCounts of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This layer shows the average household size in South Africa in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Province, District, Municipality, Main Place, Sub Place, and Small Area). Nationally, the average household size is 3.4 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by 15-year age incrementsCount of population by marital statusThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

In 2022, the average size of households in Algeria was around *** people, decreasing slightly compared to the previous year. The average number of individuals living in the same household declined annually in the period under review. Moreover, the household size in the country remained below the average registered in the Middle East and North Africa region, which corresponded to *** individuals in 2019.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of November 2025 and will be retired in December 2026. A replacement item has not been identified at this time. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to phase out use of this item. This layer shows the average household size in Côte d'Ivoire in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, District, Region, and Department). Nationally, the average household size is 5.2 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal households The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

In 2019, the average household size of Muslims in Sub-Saharan Africa was *** people per household. Muslim households in Europe were the smallest worldwide, with an average of *** people per household.

In 2019, the average household size of Hindus in Asia-Pacific was *** people per household. In comparison, Hindus in sub-Saharan Africa had the smallest average household size, at *** people per household. The majority of Hindus live in India.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of November 2025 and will be retired in December 2026. A replacement item has not been identified at this time. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to phase out use of this item. This map shows the average household size in Nigeria in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, State, and Local Government Area). Nationally, the average household size is 4.5 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the average household size in Lesotho in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country and District). Nationally, the average household size is 3.6 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCounts of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Abstract

The October Household Survey is an annual survey based on a probability sample of a large number of households (ranging from 16 000 in 1996 through to 30 000 in 1997 and 1998, depending on the availability of funding). It covers a range of development indicators, including unemployment rates (official and expanded), according to standard definitions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Geographic coverage

The survey had national coverage

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The survey covered households and household members in the nine provinces of South Africa

Kind of data

Survey data

Sampling procedure

A sample of 30 000 households was drawn in 3 000 enumerator areas (EAs) (that is 10 households per enumerator area). A two-stage sampling procedure was applied and the sample was stratified, clustered and selected to meet the requirements of probability sampling. The sample was based on the 1996 Population Census enumerator areas and the estimated number of households from the 1996 Population Census The sampled population excluded all prisoners in prisons, patients in hospitals, people residing in boarding houses and hotels (whether temporary or semi-permanent). The sample was explicitly stratified by province and area type (urban/rural). Within each explicit stratum the EAs were stratified by simply arranging them in geographical order by District Council, Magisterial District and, within the magisterial district, by average household income (for formal urban areas and hostels) or EA. The allocated number of EAs was systematically selected with probability proportional to size in each stratum. The measure of size was the estimated number of households in Each EA. A systematic sample of 10 households was drawn.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

The data files in the October Household Survey 1999 correspond to the following sections in the questionnaire:

Person: Data from Section 1 and Section 4 Births: Data from Section 2 Children: Data from Section2 Worker: Data from Section 3 Migrant: Data from Section 5 House: Data from Section 6 Farming: Data from Section 7

Data appraisal

Researchers should note that the birth data in the OHS 1999 is not comparable with the birth data in OHS for the years 1994-1998 because the birth history question was phrased differently in 1999.

The question on birth history in the questionnaires for OHS 1996-1998 was: 2.1 How many children (live births) have you ever given birth to?

In the 1999 OHS questionnaire the question asked was: 2.1 How many children (live births) has …… given birth to in the last 12 months?

The 1999 data does not therefore include a full birth history, only births in the 12 months before the survey interview.

Abstract

The Project for Statistics on Living standards and Development was a countrywide World Bank Living Standards Measurement Survey. It covered approximately 9000 households, drawn from a representative sample of South African households. The fieldwork was undertaken during the nine months leading up to the country's first democratic elections at the end of April 1994. The purpose of the survey was to collect statistical information about the conditions under which South Africans live in order to provide policymakers with the data necessary for planning strategies. This data would aid the implementation of goals such as those outlined in the Government of National Unity's Reconstruction and Development Programme.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

Households

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

(a) SAMPLE SIZE

Sample size is 9,000 households. The sample design adopted for the study was a two-stage self-weighting design in which the first stage units were Census Enumerator Subdistricts (ESDs, or their equivalent) and the second stage were households. The advantage of using such a design is that it provides a representative sample that need not be based on accurate census population distribution.in the case of South Africa, the sample will automatically include many poor people, without the need to go beyond this and oversample the poor. Proportionate sampling as in such a self-weighting sample design offers the simplest possible data files for further analysis, as weights do not have to be added. However, in the end this advantage could not be retained, and weights had to be added. The sampling frame was drawn up on the basis of small, clearly demarcated area units, each with a population estimate. The nature of the self-weighting procedure adopted ensured that this population estimate was not important for determining the final sample, however. For most of the country, census ESDs were used. Where some ESDs comprised relatively large populations as for instance in some black townships such as Soweto, aerial photographs were used to divide the areas into blocks of approximately equal population size. In other instances, particularly in some of the former homelands, the area units were not ESDs but villages or village groups. In the sample design chosen, the area stage units (generally ESDs) were selected with probability proportional to size, based on the census population.

(b) SAMPLE DESIGN

Systematic sampling was used throughout that is, sampling at fixed interval in a list of ESDs, starting at a randomly selected starting point. Given that sampling was self-weighting, the impact of stratification was expected to be modest. The main objective was to ensure that the racial and geographic breakdown approximated the national population distribution. This was done by listing the area stage units (ESDs) by statistical region and then within the statistical region by urban or rural. Within these sub-statistical regions, the ESDs were then listed in order of percentage African. The sampling interval for the selection of the ESDs was obtained by dividing the 1991 census population of 38,120,853 by the 300 clusters to be selected. This yielded 105,800. Starting at a randomly selected point, every 105,800th person down the cluster list was selected. This ensured both geographic and racial diversity (ESDs were ordered by statistical sub-region and proportion of the population African). In three or four instances, the ESD chosen was judged inaccessible and replaced with a similar one. In the second sampling stage the unit of analysis was the household. In each selected ESD a listing or enumeration of households was carried out by means of a field operation. From the households listed in an ESD a sample of households was selected by systematic sampling. Even though the ultimate enumeration unit was the household, in most cases "stands" were used as enumeration units. However, when a stand was chosen as the enumeration unit all households on that stand had to be interviewed. Census population data, however, was available only for 1991. An assumption on population growth was thus made to obtain an approximation of the population size for 1993, the year of the survey. The sampling interval at the level of the household was determined in the following way: Based on the decision to have a take of 125 individuals on average per cluster (i.e. assuming 5 members per household to give an average cluster size of 25 households), the interval of households to be selected was determined as the census population divided by 118.1, i.e. allowing for population growth since the census. It was subsequently discovered that population growth was slightly over-estimated, but this had little effect on the findings of the survey. Individuals in hospitals, old age homes, hotels and hostels of educational institutions were not included in the sample. Migrant labour hostels were included. In addition to those that turned up in the selected ESDs, a sample of three hostels was chosen from a national list provided by the Human Sciences Research Council and within each of these hostels a representative sample was drawn on a similar basis as described above for the households in ESDs.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Cleaning operations

All the questionnaires were checked when received. Where information was incomplete or appeared contradictory, the questionnaire was sent back to the relevant survey organization. As soon as the data was available, it was captured using local development platform ADE. This was completed in February 1994. Following this, a series of exploratory programs were written to highlight inconsistencies and outlier. For example, all person level files were linked together to ensure that the same person code reported in different sections of the questionnaire corresponded to the same person. The error reports from these programs were compared to the questionnaires and the necessary alterations made. This was a lengthy process, as several files were checked more than once, and completed at the beginning of August 1994. In some cases, questionnaires would contain missing values, or comments that the respondent did not know, or refused to answer a question. These responses are coded in the data files with the following values:

VALUE MEANING -1 : The data was not available on the questionnaire or form -2 : The field is not applicable -3 : Respondent refused to answer -4 : Respondent did not know answer to question

Data appraisal

The data collected in clusters 217 and 218 should be viewed as highly unreliable and therefore removed from the data set. The data currently available on the web site has been revised to remove the data from these clusters. Researchers who have downloaded the data in the past should revise their data sets. For information on the data in those clusters, contact SALDRU http://www.saldru.uct.ac.za/.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of November 2025 and will be retired in December 2026. A replacement item has not been identified at this time. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to phase out use of this item. This map shows the average household size in Uganda in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Region, and District). Nationally, the average household size is 4.5 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCounts of population by marital status The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

As of 2022, households comprising two to three members were more common in urban areas, with just over 39 percent, than in rural areas, where 30.6 percent amounted to households of that size. Families inhabiting six or more people, however, amounted to 19.3 percent in rural areas, being roughly twice the amount of those in urban areas.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of November 2025 and will be retired in December 2026. A replacement item has not been identified at this time. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to phase out use of this item. This map shows the average household size in Tanzania in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country and Region). Nationally, the average household size is 4.6 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCounts of population by marital status The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Mean of fertility preference and family size of women at the end of their reproductive period in sub-Saharan Africa by country.