1980 HUNGARIAN CENSUS OF POPULATION Summary data (1984)

VIII. THE CHANGE IN THE SIZE AND COMPOSITION OF HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES

VIII. The change in the size and composition of households and families THE COMPOSITION OF HOUSEHOLDS At the first of January 1980 9 million 374 thousand people out of the country's lOmillion 709 thousand population lived in 2 million 864 thousand family-households; and 1 million 3 thousand people belonged to other (nonfamily) households, the vast majority of which - 9 out of 10 - were single person households. (This analysis does not cover 3 percent of the population because these people live in institutional households away from their residence for occupational or educational purposes.) If the 212 thousand persons - temporarily absent for occupational or educational purposes - were included at their place of residence in their household the number of those living in institution households would fall by two thirds and there would be a 2.8 percent increase in thenumber of family-household members. In the seventies the size of the households decreased considerably, since the growth in the number of households exceeded the growth in the number of household members. Between 1970 and 1980 the number of households rose by 10 percent and the number of people living in households rose only by 4 percent. It is worth attention that the number of households with only one member, the so-called single person households grew much stronger (by 24 percent) than the number of family-households (6 percent). At present 731 thousand persons live alone, and about two thirds of them are women. The considerable growth in the number of new flats made possible the separation of generations living together. The decrease in the number of children, the improving housing situation, the growth in the number of single persons meant the decrease in the size of the households. This is indicated in the development of the number of persons per 100 households. The value of this indicator is at present 279 persons, contrary to the 310 persons twenty years ago and to the 295 persons in 1970. The composition of households Composition of Number (in 1 000) Percentage households 1960 1970 1980 1960 1970 1980 1 family households 2 " " 3-X" 2 424 160 4 2 515 180 5 2 705 154 5 78.7 5. 2 0. 2 74. 5 5. 3 0. 1 72. 7 4. 1 0. 2 Family-households together 2 588 2 700 2 864 84. 1 79. 9 77. 0 Single person households Other households 447 44 591 87 730 125 14. 5 1.4 17. 5 2. 6 19. 6 3. 4 Non-family households together 491 678 855 15. 9 20. 1 23. 0 All households 3 079 3 378 3 719 100. 0 100. 0 100. 0 Number of persons per 100 households 310 295 279 95 percent of the family-households are 1 family households, and in 82 percent out of these households are without relative or other alien person. The number of 1 family households is by 8 pei> cent more than 10 years earlier, while the number of 2 family households is by 14 percent less; the number of 3-X family households has not changed considerably since 1970. The decrease in the number of 2 family households indicates that now less parent and children couples are forced to live together than before, so it refers to the improving housing situation. 119