CARICOM CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (CCDP)

National Census Report 2001, St. Vincent and the Grenadines8.3 Sex and Age of Head of Household with ChildrenThe 2001 Census data indicate that 16 520 or 50.79 per cent of children lived in a female headedhousehold compared with 49.21 per cent who lived in a male headed household (Table 8.2). Thecorresponding rates are slightly higher among children 5 - 14 age group with 51.31 per centliving in a female headed household and lower among the younger children 0 to 4 years (49.64per cent), an indication of the growing trend in female-headed households.Table 8.2 Total Children by Age Group and Sex of Head of Household, 2001Age GroupTotal Male Head Female Headof Children No. Children % No. Children % No. Children %Total 32 523 100.00 16 003 49.21 16 520 50.790-4 9 969 100.00 5 020 50.36 4 949 49.645-9 11 452 100.00 5 604 48.93 5 848 51.0710-14 11 102 100.00 5 379 48.45 5 723 51.55The majority of the children lived in households where the head was in the 25 to 44 and the 45 to64 age groups, 55.84 and 28.37 per cent, respectively. It is likely that most of the 11.72 per centof children that lived with the elderly heads of households were grandchildren or other relativesor non-relatives left in their care. Only 4.07 per cent of the children lived with a head ofhousehold that was a youth. The corresponding rate is even higher for younger children 0 - 4 agegroup (7 .86 per cent) that lived with a youth head of household.Further analysis by the sex and age of the head of the household revealed that the incidence ofchildren living with a female head of household was highest among female heads in the 15 to 24age group, (Table 8.3 a). Seven of every ten children that lived with a head of household thatwas in this age group had a female head of household. The corresponding rates are 49.57 and47.75 per cent for the, 25 to 44 and 45 to 64 years age groups.104