The concepts described on these pages are words and expressions used in statistics with a specific, limited meaning. In everyday speech the word may have a different meaning. In connection with each definition you can find information about which sets of statistics use the concept.

If you are looking for statistical figures, go from the definition to the statistics page.

Type of family

Families are grouped into the following types:
- married couple without children
- cohabiting couple without children
- married couple with children
- cohabiting couple with children
- registered male couple without children
- registered male couple with children
- registered female couple without children
- registered female couple with children
- mother with children
- father with children.

A married or cohabiting couple without children refers to a couple who has never had any children or whose children no longer live with their parents. 'Cohabiting couple with children' contains couples who have common children and also couples whose children are not common.

For reasons of data protection, those living in registered partnerships are grouped together with married persons in municipal tables.



Statistics using the definition

Validity of the definition

  • 1 March 2002 - 28 February 2017

Source organisation

  • Tilastokeskus

Families are grouped into the following types:
- married opposite-sex couple without children
- married same-sex couple without children
- cohabiting opposite-sex couple without children
- married opposite-sex couple with children
- married same-sex couple with children
- cohabiting opposite-sex couple with children
- cohabiting same-sex couple with common children (biological mother and confirmed mother)
- registered male couple without children
- registered male couple with children
- registered female couple without children
- registered female couple with children
- mother with children
- father with children.

A married or cohabiting couple without children refers to a couple who has never had any children or whose children no longer live with their parents. ‘Cohabiting couple with children’ contains couples who have common children and also couples whose children are not common.

For reasons of data protection, married and cohabiting same-sex couples and registered same-sex couples are classified together with married opposite sex couples in municipal tables.



Statistics using the definition

Validity of the definition

  • Valid

Families are grouped into the following types:
- married opposite-sex couple without children
- married same-sex couple without children
- cohabiting opposite-sex couple without children
- married opposite-sex couple with children
- married same-sex couple with children
- cohabiting opposite-sex couple with children
- registered male couple without children
- registered male couple with children
- registered female couple without children
- registered female couple with children
- mother with children
- father with children.

A married or cohabiting couple without children refers to a couple who has never had any children or whose children no longer live with their parents. ‘Cohabiting couple with children’ contains couples who have common children and also couples whose children are not common.

For reasons of data protection, marriages of same-sex couples and registered partnerships are classified together with marriages of opposite sexes in municipal tables.



Validity of the definition

  • 1 March 2017 - 31 December 2019

Source organisation

  • Tilastokeskus

Related concepts

Source organisation

  • Tilastokeskus

Jaa