1344.8.55.001 - ACT Stats, 2007  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/09/2007  Ceased
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MEDIA RELEASE
September 11, 2007
Embargoed 11.30 am (AEST)
99/2007
    Canberra/Queanbeyan: de facto families more likely,
    but fewer kids in families overall - ABS

    Couples in the ACT region are now more likely to be in a de facto relationship, and have fewer children than ten years ago, according to an analysis of Census figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

    The proportion of ACT families with children was 47% in 2006 – down from 49% in 2001 and 53% in 1996.

    In Queanbeyan, families with children fell from 51% in 1996 to 49% in 2006.

    At the national level, the fall was from 50% to 45% between 1996 and 2006.

    Some of the other key findings are highlighted below.

    For the ACT:
    • married couples fell from 52% in 1996 to 49% in 2006
    • de facto relationships increased from 7% in 1996 to 10% in 2006
    • average family size fell from 3.1 people in 1996 to 2.9 in 2006.
    For Queanbeyan:
    • 10% were in a de facto relationship - this was higher than the national figure (8.8%)
    • the proportion of people not married was 41% - consistent with the national figure.

    Further details can be found in the September 2007 issue of ACT Stats (cat. no. 1344.8.55.001).