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NUMBERS OF AUSTRALIANS LIVING ALONE COULD DOUBLE

The 2001-2026 issue of Household and Family Projections, Australia, 2001-2026 (cat. no. 3236.0) was released on Friday 18 June. Some of the findings include:

• The number of Australians living alone is projected to reach between 2.8 million and 3.7 million people by 2026, compared to 1.8 million Australians who were living alone in 2001.

• Around one-quarter to one-third of all people living alone in 2026 (between 844,000 and 962,000 people) are projected to be older Australians (aged 75 years and over). Three-quarters of these older Australians are expected to be women.

• Couple families without children are projected to increase the most rapidly of all types of families over the next 25 years, to between 2.9 and 3.3 million in 2026 (or between 41% and 49% of all families). In 2001, there were 1.9 million couple families without children (36% of all families). Couple families without children may overtake the number of couple families with children, in either 2010 or 2011.

• The number of children of all ages living in two-parent families is projected to decrease to between 4.4 and 4.9 million in 2026 (from 5.0 million in 2001), while the number living with one parent is projected to increase to between 1.4 and 2.1 million in 2026 (up from 1.3 million children in 2001).

• The number of Australian households is projected to increase by between 39% and 47% (to between 10.2 and 10.8 million, up from 7.4 million households in 2001). Average household size is projected to decline from 2.6 people per household in 2001 to between 2.2 and 2.3 people in 2026.