National Family and Household Projections: 2006(base)–2031 update

The following highlights are based on series 5B:

• The number of families is projected to reach 1.46 million by 2031, an increase of 288,000 (an average of 0.9 percent a year) from an estimated 1.17 million families at 30 June 2006.
• Most of the growth in families will be in couple-without-children families, which are projected to overtake two-parent families to become the most common family type by 2011.
• The number of households is projected to reach 2.09 million by 2031, an increase of 536,000 (an average of 1.2 percent a year) from an estimated 1.55 million households at 30 June 2006.
• One-person households are projected to increase by an average of 2.0 percent a year, from 363,000 in 2006 to 602,000 in 2031.
• The average size of households will decrease to 2.4 people by 2031, from 2.6 people in 2006.
• The numbers of families and households will grow faster than the population, which is projected to increase by an average of 0.8 percent a year between 2006 and 2031.