There were estimated to be approximately 28.4 million households in the United Kingdom in 2023, compared with 23.7 million households in 1996. Since the mid-1990s, there has been an increase of around four million households in the UK.

In 2023, there were approximately 7.96 million households in the United Kingdom composed of a couple with no children, which was the most common type of household arrangement in this year. The second-most common type of household were couples living with one or two dependent children, at around 5.21 million.

Families and children in the UK by family type including married couples, cohabiting couples and lone parents. Also shows household size and people living alone.

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.

In 2023, there were approximately 3.78 million households in the South East of England, making it the region with the most households in the United Kingdom. London had the second-highest number of households during this year, at 3.58 million.

As of 2022, there were estimated to be 9.8 million people living in a two-person household in the United Kingdom, the most of any household size in this year. Approximately 8.3 million people lived alone, and a further 4.3 million people lived in a three-person household.

This map shows the average household size in United Kingdom in 2023, in a multiscale map (United Kingdom, Country, Region, County, District, Lower Super Output Area, and Census Output Area). Nationally, the average household size is 2.4 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 household by typeCount 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 February, 2024 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 number of people per household in the United Kingdom was 2.36 compared with 2.37 in 2020. In the mid-1990s the average household size was slightly larger at 2.42, before falling to a low of 2.36 in 2002, which with the exception of 2004, is where the average stayed until 2013 when it began to rise slightly.

In 2023, there were around 27.4 million households in the United Kingdom (UK) that had televisions, a number that has continued to grow annually since 2013. In the UK, the average consumer spent 158 minutes per day watching TV in 2022, with those aged over 65 years spending the most time in front of the box. Compared to other European countries, UK viewers spent less than the average watching TV. Leading stations As of 2022/2023, BBC One had a reach of 55 percent. Unsurprisingly, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had the highest audience share of UK TV broadcasters. Smart TV It is now very hard to purchase a new television in the UK without it being smart. As of 2023, the household penetration rate of smart TV sets was over 70 percent. Essentially, a smart television is a TV that has a connection to the internet. This then allows viewers to have access to streaming brands such as Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu through their TV set.

Distribution and use of income account and capital account, financial account and balance sheet quarterly data for households and non-profit institutions serving households.

Quarterly and historical data on UK households, excluding student households, by region and combined economic activity status of household members.

Quarterly and historical data on children living in UK households by region and combined economic activity status of household members.

This statistic displays the share of households in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2017/18, by household type. 21.2 percent of the households in the UK consisted of two adults without children. This was the most common type of household in the UK in 2017/18, whilst only 2.8 percent of households had three or more adults with children which was the least common type of 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.

Dataset population: Persons, Households

Census 2021 rounded population and household estimates for local authorities and regions in England and Wales, by sex and five-year age group.

The General Household Survey (GHS), ran from 1971-2011 (the UKDS holds data from 1972-2011). It was a continuous annual national survey of people living in private households, conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The main aim of the survey was to collect data on a range of core topics, covering household, family and individual information. This information was used by government departments and other organisations for planning, policy and monitoring purposes, and to present a picture of households, families and people in Great Britain. In 2008, the GHS became a module of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS). In recognition, the survey was renamed the General Lifestyle Survey (GLF). The GLF closed in January 2012. The 2011 GLF is therefore the last in the series. A limited number of questions previously run on the GLF were subsequently included in the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN).

Secure Access GHS/GLF
The UKDS holds standard access End User Licence (EUL) data for 1972-2006. A Secure Access version is available, covering the years 2000-2011 - see SN 6716 General Lifestyle Survey, 2000-2011: Secure Access.

History
The GHS was conducted annually until 2011, except for breaks in 1997-1998 when the survey was reviewed, and 1999-2000 when the survey was redeveloped. Further information may be found in the ONS document An overview of 40 years of data (General Lifestyle Survey Overview - a report on the 2011 General Lifestyle Survey) (PDF). Details of changes each year may be found in the individual study documentation.

EU-SILC
In 2005, the European Union (EU) made a legal obligation (EU-SILC) for member states to collect additional statistics on income and living conditions. In addition, the EU-SILC data cover poverty and social exclusion. These statistics are used to help plan and monitor European social policy by comparing poverty indicators and changes over time across the EU. The EU-SILC requirement was integrated into the GHS/GLF in 2005. After the closure of the GLF, EU-SILC was collected via the Family Resources Survey (FRS) until the UK left the EU in 2020.

Reformatted GHS data 1973-1982 - Surrey SPSS Files
SPSS files were created by the University of Surrey for all GHS years from 1973 to 1982 inclusive. The early files were restructured and the case changed from the household to the individual with all of the household information duplicated for each individual. The Surrey SPSS files contain all the original variables as well as some extra derived variables (a few variables were omitted from the data files for 1973-76). In 1973 only, the section on leisure was not included in the Surrey SPSS files. This has subsequently been made available, however, and is now held in a separate study, General Household Survey, 1973: Leisure Questions (SN 3982). Records for the original GHS 1973-1982 ASCII files have been removed from the UK Data Archive catalogue, but the data are still preserved and available upon request.

United Kingdom % of Household: by Type: 1 Family Households: Couple: >3 Dependent C data was reported at 3.477 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.484 % for 2015. United Kingdom % of Household: by Type: 1 Family Households: Couple: >3 Dependent C data is updated yearly, averaging 3.586 % from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2016, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.400 % in 1997 and a record low of 3.269 % in 2012. United Kingdom % of Household: by Type: 1 Family Households: Couple: >3 Dependent C data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.H027: Number of Households, Household Size and Type.