In 2019, the average household size in Sub-Saharan Africa was 6.9 people per household, which was the largest average household size worldwide. In comparison, the smallest average household size was found in Europe, with 3.1 people per household.

In 2019, Muslim households had the highest average number of people per household. The average size of Muslim households worldwide was about 6.4 people. Unaffiliated and Jewish households had the smallest average size, at 3.7 people per household.

European Average Household Size by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

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

Household counts, population and average household size down to sub-national level 1 (when available) based on reported figures from census.

Find more Pacific data on PDH.stat.

Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates including measures of uncertainty of the number of households by household size, for England, Scotland and Wales, as well as the regions of England.

Population: Average Household Size: Beijing data was reported at 2.460 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.440 Person for 2022. Population: Average Household Size: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 2.620 Person from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.690 Person in 1982 and a record low of 2.310 Person in 2020. Population: Average Household Size: Beijing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: No of Person per Household.

In 2019, the average household size of Hindus in Asia-Pacific was 5.7 people per household. In comparison, Hindus in sub-Saharan Africa had the smallest average household size, at 3.9 people per household. The majority of Hindus live in India.

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.

China Population: Average Household Size data was reported at 2.800 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.760 Person for 2022. China Population: Average Household Size data is updated yearly, averaging 3.150 Person from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.430 Person in 1982 and a record low of 2.620 Person in 2020. China Population: Average Household Size data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: No of Person per Household.

United Kingdom Average Household Size: Number of People data was reported at 2.390 Person in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.380 Person for 2015. United Kingdom Average Household Size: Number of People data is updated yearly, averaging 2.370 Person from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2016, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.420 Person in 1996 and a record low of 2.360 Person in 2012. United Kingdom Average Household Size: Number of People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.H027: Number of Households, Household Size and Type.

Ukraine Average Size of Household data was reported at 2.580 Person in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 2.580 Person for 2016. Ukraine Average Size of Household data is updated yearly, averaging 2.600 Person from Dec 1999 (Median) to 2017, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.770 Person in 1999 and a record low of 2.580 Person in 2017. Ukraine Average Size of Household data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Statistics Service of Ukraine. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ukraine – Table UA.H005: Household Composition.

The average American household consisted of 2.51 people in 2023.

Households in the U.S.

As shown in the statistic, the number of people per household has decreased over the past decades.

The U.S. Census Bureau defines a household as follows: “a household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence. A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied (or if vacant, is intended for occupancy) as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the building and which have direct access from outside the building or through a common hall. The occupants may be a single family, one person living alone, two or more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated persons who share living arrangements. (People not living in households are classified as living in group quarters.).”

The population of the United States has been growing steadily for decades. Since 1960, the number of households more than doubled from 53 million to over 131 million households in 2023.

Most of these households, about 34 percent, are two-person households. The distribution of U.S. households has changed over the years though. The percentage of single-person households has been on the rise since 1970 and made up the second largest proportion of households in the U.S. in 2022, at 28.88 percent.

In concordance with the rise of single-person households, the percentage of family households with own children living in the household has declined since 1970 from 56 percent to 40.26 percent in 2022.

In 2019, the average household size of Jews in Israel was 4.3 people per household. In comparison, Jewish households in the United States had an average size of three people per household.

In 2021, Slovakia had the highest average household size among EU member states, at 2.9 people per household. By contrast, Finland had the lowest average household size, at 1.9 people per household.

Abstract

The JPFHS is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program, which is designed to collect data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health.

The 1990 Jordan Population and Family Health Survey (JPFHS) was carried out as part of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) program. The Demographic and Health Surveys is assisting governments and private agencies in the implementation of household surveys in developing countries.

The JPFIS was designed to provide information on levels and trends of fertility, infant and child mortality, and family planning. The survey also gathered information on breastfeeding, matemal and child health cam, the nutritional status of children under five, as well as the characteristics of households and household members.

The main objectives of the project include: a) Providing decision makers with a data base and analyses useful for informed policy choices, b) Expanding the international population and health data base, c) Advancing survey methodology, and d) Developing skills and resources necessary to conduct high quality demographic and health surveys in the participating countries.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Children under five years
• Women age 15-49
• Men

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The sample for the JPFHS survey was selected to be representative of the major geographical regions, as well as the nation as a whole. The survey adopted a stratified, multi-stage sampling design. In each governorate, localities were classified into 9 strata according to the estimated population size in 1989. The sampling design also allowed for the survey results to be presented according to major cities (Amman, Irbid and Zarqa), other urban localities, and the rural areas. Localities with fewer than 5,000 people were considered rural.

For this survey, 349 sample units were drawn, containing 10,708 housing units for the individual interview. Since the survey used a separate household questionnaire, the Department of Statistics doubled the household sample size and added a few questions on labor force, while keeping the original individual sample intact. This yielded 21,172 housing units. During fieldwork for the household interview, it was found that 4,359 household units were ineligible either because the dwelling was vacant or destroyed, the household was absent during the team visit, or some other reason. There were 16,296 completed household interviews out of 16,813 eligible households, producing a response rate of 96.9 percent.

The completed household interviews yielded 7,246 women eligible for the individual interview, of which 6,461 were successfully interviewed, producing a response rate of 89.2 percent.

Note: See detailed description of sample design in APPENDIX A of the survey report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

The 1990 JPFIS utilized two questionnaires, one for the household interview and the other for individual women. Both questionnaires were developed first in English and then translated into Arabic. The household questionnaire was used to list all members of the sample households, including usual residents as well as visitors. For each member of the household, basic demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were recorded and women eligible for the individual interview were identified. To be eligible for individual interview, a woman had to be a usual member of the household (part of the de jure population), ever-married, and between 15 and 49 years of age. The household questionnaire was expanded from the standard DHS-II model questionnaire to facilitate the estimation of adult mortality using the orphanhood and widowhood techniques. In addition, the questionnaire obtained information on polygamy, economic activity of persons 15 years of age and over, family type, type of insurance covering the household members, country of work in the summer of 1990 which coincided with the Gulf crisis, and basic data for the calculation of the crude birth rate and the crude death rate. Additional questions were asked about deceased women if they were ever-married and age 15-49, in order to obtain information for the calculation of materoal mortality indices.

The individual questionnaire is a modified version of the standard DHS-II model "A" questionnaire. Experience gained from previous surveys, in particular the 1983 Jordan Fertility and Family Health Survey, and the questionnaire developed by the Pan Arab Project for Child Development (PAPCHILD), were useful in the discussions on the content of the JPFHS questionnaire. A major change from the DHS-II model questionnaire was the rearrangement of the sections so that the marriage section came before reproduction; this allowed the interview to flow more smoothly. Questions on children's cause of death based on verbal autopsy were added to the section on health, which, due to its size, was split into two parts. The first part focused on antenatal care and breastfeeding; the second part examined measures for prevention of childhood diseases and information on the morbidity and mortality of children loom since January 1985. As questions on sexual relations were considered too sensitive, they were replaced by questions about the husband's presence in the household during the specified time period; this served as a proxy for recent sexual activity.

The JPFHS individual questionnaire consists of nine sections: - Respondent's background and household characteristics - Marriage - Reproduction - Contraception - Breastfeeding and health - Immunization, morbidity, and child mortality - Fertility preferences - Husband's background, residence, and woman's work - Height and weight of children

Response rate

For the individual interview, the number of eligible women found in the selected households and the number of women successfully interviewed are presented. The data indicate a high response rate for the household interview (96.9 percent), and a lower rate for the individual interview (89.2 percent). Women in large cities have a slightly lower response rate (88.6 percent) than those in other areas. Most of the non-response for the individual interview was due to the absence of respondents and the postponement of interviews which were incomplete.

Note: See summarized response rates by place of residence in Table 1.1 of the survey report.

Sampling error estimates

The results from sample surveys are affected by two types of errors, non-sampling error and sampling error. Nonsampling error is due to mistakes made in carrying out field activities, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, errors in the way the questions are asked, misunderstanding on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, data entry errors, etc. Although efforts were made during the design and implementation of the JPFHS to minimize this type of error, non-sampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be measured statistically. The sample of women selected in the JPFHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and expected size. Each one would have yielded results that differed somewhat from the actual sample selected. The sampling error is a measure of the variability between all possible samples; although it is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

Sampling error is usually measured in terms of standard error of a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which one can reasonably assured that, apart from nonsampling errors, the true value of the variable for the whole population falls. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that same statistic as measured in 95 percent of all possible samples with the same design (and expected size) will fall within a range of plus or minus two times the standard error of that statistic.

If the sample of women had been selected as a simple random sample, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the JPFI-IS sample design depended on stratification, stages and clusters. Consequently, it was necessary to utilize more complex formulas. The computer package CLUSTERS, developed by the International Statistical Institute for the World Fertility Survey, was used to assist in computing the sampling errors with the proper statistical methodology.

Note: See detailed estimate of sampling error calculation in APPENDIX B of the survey report.

Data appraisal

Data Quality Tables - Household age distribution - Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women - Completeness of reporting - Births by calendar year since birth - Reporting of age at death in days - Reporting of age at death in months

Note: See detailed tables in APPENDIX C of the report which is presented in this documentation.

United Arab Emirates Average Size of Households: Census: Dubai data was reported at 4.200 Person in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 4.200 Person for 2014. United Arab Emirates Average Size of Households: Census: Dubai data is updated yearly, averaging 4.380 Person from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2015, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.000 Person in 1985 and a record low of 4.100 Person in 2008. United Arab Emirates Average Size of Households: Census: Dubai data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Arab Emirates – Table AE.H001: Size of Households: Average.

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.

Abstract

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) was carried out as the principal activity of a collaborative project to strengthen the research capabilities of the Population Reasearch Centres (PRCs) in India, initiated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of India, and coordinated by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Bombay. Interviews were conducted with a nationally representative sample of 89,777 ever-married women in the age group 13-49, from 24 states and the National Capital Territoty of Delhi. The main objective of the survey was to collect reliable and up-to-date information on fertility, family planning, mortality, and maternal and child health. Data collection was carried out in three phases from April 1992 to September 1993. THe NFHS is one of the most complete surveys of its kind ever conducted in India.

The households covered in the survey included 500,492 residents. The young age structure of the population highlights the momentum of the future population growth of the country; 38 percent of household residents are under age 15, with their reproductive years still in the future. Persons age 60 or older constitute 8 percent of the population. The population sex ratio of the de jure residents is 944 females per 1,000 males, which is slightly higher than sex ratio of 927 observed in the 1991 Census.

The primary objective of the NFHS is to provide national-level and state-level data on fertility, nuptiality, family size preferences, knowledge and practice of family planning, the potentiel demand for contraception, the level of unwanted fertility, utilization of antenatal services, breastfeeding and food supplemation practises, child nutrition and health, immunizations, and infant and child mortality. The NFHS is also designed to explore the demographic and socioeconomic determinants of fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers, adminitrators and researchers in assessing and evaluating population and family welfare programmes and strategies. The NFHS used uniform questionnaires and uniform methods of sampling, data collection and analysis with the primary objective of providing a source of demographic and health data for interstate comparisons. The data collected in the NFHS are also comparable with those of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in many other countries.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Data collected for women 13-49, indicators calculated for women 15-49

Universe

The population covered by the 1992-93 DHS is defined as the universe of all women age 13-49 who were either permanent residents of the households in the NDHS sample or visitors present in the households on the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

SAMPLE DESIGN

The sample design for the NFHS was discussed during a Sample Design Workshop held in Madurai in Octber, 1991. The workshop was attended by representative from the PRCs; the COs; the Office of the Registrar General, India; IIPS and the East-West Center/Macro International. A uniform sample design was adopted in all the NFHS states. The Sample design adopted in each state is a systematic, stratified sample of households, with two stages in rural areas and three stages in urban areas.

SAMPLE SIZE AND ALLOCATION

The sample size for each state was specified in terms of a target number of completed interviews with eligible women. The target sample size was set considering the size of the state, the time and ressources available for the survey and the need for separate estimates for urban and rural areas of the stat. The initial target sample size was 3,000 completed interviews with eligible women for states having a population of 25 million or less in 1991; 4,000 completed interviews for large states with more than 25 million population; 8,000 for Uttar Pradesh, the largest state; and 1,000 each for the six small northeastern states. In States with a substantial number of backward districts, the initial target samples were increased so as to allow separate estimates to be made for groups of backward districts.

The urban and rural samples within states were drawn separetly and , to the extent possible, sample allocation was proportional to the size of the urban-rural populations (to facilitate the selection of a self-weighting sample for each state). In states where the urban population was not sufficiently large to provide a sample of at least 1,000 completed interviews with eligible women, the urban areas were appropriately oversampled (except in the six small northeastern states).

THE RURAL SAMPLE: THE FRAME, STRATIFICATION AND SELECTION

A two-stage stratified sampling was adopted for the rural areas: selection of villages followed by selection of households. Because the 1991 Census data were not available at the time of sample selection in most states, the 1981 Census list of villages served as the sampling frame in all the states with the exception of Assam, Delhi and Punjab. In these three states the 1991 Census data were used as the sampling frame.

Villages were stratified prior to selection on the basis of a number of variables. The firts level of stratification in all the states was geographic, with districts subdivided into regions according to their geophysical characteristics. Within each of these regions, villages were further stratified using some of the following variables : village size, distance from the nearest town, proportion of nonagricultural workers, proportion of the population belonging to scheduled castes/scheduled tribes, and female literacy. However, not all variables were used in every state. Each state was examined individually and two or three variables were selected for stratification, with the aim of creating not more than 12 strata for small states and not more than 15 strata for large states. Females literacy was often used for implicit stratification (i.e., the villages were ordered prior to selection according to the proportion of females who were literate). Primary sampling Units (PSUs) were selected systematically, with probaility proportional to size (PPS). In some cases, adjacent villages with small population sizes were combined into a single PSU for the purpose of sample selection. On average, 30 households were selected for interviewing in each selected PSU.

In every state, all the households in the selected PSUs were listed about two weeks prior to the survey. This listing provided the necessary frame for selecting households at the second sampling stage. The household listing operation consisted of preparing up-to-date notional and layout sketch maps of each selected PSU, assigning numbers to structures, recording addresses (or locations) of these structures, identifying the residential structures, and listing the names of the heads of all the households in the residentiak structures in the selected PSU. Each household listing team consisted of a lister and a mapper. The listing operation was supervised by the senior field staff of the concerned CO and the PRC in each state. Special efforts were made not to miss any household in the selected PSU during the listing operation. In PSUs with fewer than 500 households, a complete household listing was done. In PSUs with 500 or more households, segmentation of the PSU was done on the basis of existing wards in the PSU, and two segments were selected using either systematic sampling or PPS sampling. The household listing in such PSUs was carried out in the selected segments. The households to be interviewed were selected from provided with the original household listing, layout sketch map and the household sample selected for each PSU. All the selected households were approached during the data collection, and no substitution of a household was allowed under any circumstances.

THE RURAL URBAN SAMPLE: THE FRAME, STRATIFICATION AND SELECTION

A three-stage sample design was adopted for the urban areas in each state: selection of cities/towns, followed by urban blocks, and finally households. Cities and towns were selected using the 1991 population figures while urban blocks were selected using the 1991 list of census enumeration blocks in all the states with the exception of the firts phase states. For the first phase states, the list of urban blocks provided by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSSO) served as the sampling frame.

All cities and towns were subdivided into three strata: (1) self-selecting cities (i.e., cities with a population large enough to be selected with certainty), (2) towns that are district headquaters, and (3) other towns. Within each stratum, the cities/towns were arranged according to the same kind of geographic stratification used in the rural areas. In self-selecting cities, the sample was selected according to a two-stage sample design: selection of the required number of urban blocks, followed by selection of households in each of selected blocks. For district headquarters and other towns, a three stage sample design was used: selection of towns with PPS, followed by selection of two census blocks per selected town, followed by selection of households from each selected block. As in rural areas, a household listing was carried out in the selected blocks, and an average of 20 households per block was selected systematically.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

Three types of questionnaires were used in the NFHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Women's Questionnaire, and the Village Questionnaire. The overall content

In 2019, the average household size of Muslims in Sub-Saharan Africa was 8.5 people per household. Muslim households in Europe were the smallest worldwide, with an average of 4.1 people per household.