Australia Yearbook - 2001

Chapter 5—Population 159
Series A
Series B
Series C
5.46 PROJECTED NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS—AUSTRALIA
million
11
10
9
8
7
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021
Year
Source: Household and Family Projections, Australia, 1996 to 2021 (3236.0).
Household types
The projections show continuing growth in the
number of households in Australia in the period
1996–2021. The number of households is
projected to increase from 6.9 million in 1996 to
between 9.4 and 10.0 million in 2021 (graph
5.46). This represents a growth in the number
of households of between 38% and 46% between
1996 and 2021, compared to a projected 24%
increase in the population over the same period.
The average household size in Australia is
projected to decline from 2.6 persons in 1996
to between 2.2 and 2.3 persons per household in
2021. The projected decrease in average
household size reflects the projected rise in the
proportion of lone person households and
couples without children. Lone person
households are projected to grow by between
1.7% and 3.1% per year between 1996 and 2021
to comprise between one-quarter and one-third
of all household types by 2021. The ageing of the
population, increases in divorce and separation,
and delaying marriage, are all contributing factors
to the growth in lone person households
(Hugo 1999). While lone person households are
projected to grow the fastest of all household
types, family households are projected to remain
the predominant household type. Family
households are projected to grow by between
0.9% and 1.2% per year over the 1996–2021
period, to comprise between 62% and 71% of all
household types in 2021, compared to 73% of all
households in 1996 (graph 5.47).
5.47 PROJECTED NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS, HOUSEHOLD TYPE—SERIES B
'000
Family households
8000
Group households
Lone person households
6000
4000
2000
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021
Year
Source: Household and Family Projections, Australia, 1996 to 2021 (3236.0).
0