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Published: 27 May 2011

Growth in the number of families slowed down

At the end of 2010, there were 1,455,000 families in Finland. The number had grown by 4,600 from the previous year-end. However, the growth amounted to slightly less than in the previous year when it was 6,100 families. Altogether 76 per cent of the Finnish population, that is, 4,065,000 persons, belonged to a family. In 1990, the respective share was still 82 per cent.

Families by type 1950–2010

Two-thirds of the families were families of married couples. Twenty-two per cent were families of cohabiting couples and 12 per cent were one-parent families. There were 1,601 families of registered same-sex couples. Persons living alone numbered 1,040,000.

There were 582,000 families with children (family has children aged under 18). Their number decreased by 1,800 from the year before. Forty per cent of the population belong to a family with children. At the turn of the year, the average number of children still living at home in a family with children was 1.83. The commonest family type, which accounts for 61 per cent of all families with children, is still married couple with children. Eighteen per cent of the families with children were families of cohabiting couples. About the same share of all families with children were families of mother and children. The number of families with father and children continues to be very small. Under three per cent of all families with children consist of just father and children. In 267 families with children, the parents are a registered same-sex couple.

At the end of 2010, there were 53,000 reconstituted families in Finland. A reconstituted family is a family with at least one child aged under 18 of just one of the parents. There were 77,000 of such children. The number of reconstituted families decreased by 319 from last year. Roughly one-half of the parents of the reconstituted families were cohabiting and one-half were married.

Families by type in 1990–2010

Type of family	1990	1995	2000	2005	2008	2009	2010	Change    2009–2010
Families total	1 365 341	1 382 970	1 401 963	1 426 002	1 444 386	1 450 488	1 455 073	4 585
Married couple without children	364 452	395 953	436 019	481 209	504 728	509 916	513 889	3 973
Married couple with children	640 062	579 578	514 868	468 266	452 180	448 897	446 433	-2 464
Cohabiting couple no children	123 471	135 996	160 132	180 590	191 177	193 894	195 967	2 073
Cohabiting couple with children	65 896	85 309	102 581	112 847	115 966	116 797	117 254	457
Mother and children	147 297	159 063	159 432	153 024	149 631	149 823	149 651	-172
Father and children	24 161	27 071	28 931	29 238	29 460	29 765	30 278	513
Registered male couple 1)	.	.	.	398	579	625	706	81
Registered female couple 1)	.	.	.	430	665	771	895	124
Family population	4 101 922	4 093 038	4 053 850	4 037 753	4 051 662	4 059 511	4 065 168	5 657
Population 31.12.	4 998 478	5 116 829	5 181 115	5 255 580	5 326 314	5 351 427	5 375 276	23 849
Proportion of family population	82.1	80.0	78.2	76.8	76.1	75.9	75.6	-0.3
Averige size of family	3.00	2.96	2.89	2.83	2.81	2.81	2.79	-0.02

1) Families of the type “registered couple with children” numbered 281.

Source: Population and Cause of Death Statistics, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Pietiläinen (09) 1734 2798, Timo Nikander (09) 1734 3250, vaesto.tilasto@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Tables

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Families by type in 1950 - 2010 (27.5.2011)
• Appendix table 2. Family population and average size of family in 1950 - 2010 (27.5.2011)
• Appendix table 3. Families with underage children by type in 1950 - 2010 (27.5.2011)
• Appendix table 4. Reconstituted families 1990 - 2010 (27.5.2011)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Families by type and age of wife/mother in 2010 (families with father and children by age of father) (27.5.2011)
• Appendix figure 2. Families with underage children by type and age of mother in 2010 (families with father and children by age of father) (27.5.2011)
• Appendix figure 3. Structure of reconstituted families in 2010 (27.5.2011)

Quality descriptions

• Quality description, families 2010 (27.5.2011)

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Updated 27.5.2011