Number of families continues to grow

At the end of 2009, there were 1,450,000 families in Finland. The number had grown by 6,100 from the previous year-end. Altogether 76 per cent of the Finnish population, that is, 4,060,000 persons, belonged to a family. There were 1,026,000 persons living alone. Two-thirds of the families were families of married couples. Twenty-one per cent were families of cohabiting couples and 12 per cent were one-parent families. There were 1,396 families of registered same-sex couples.

Families by type 1950–2009

Families with children (under the age of 18) numbered 584,000. Their number had fallen by 1,100 from the year before. A total of 40 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 61 per cent of the families with children belong to, continues to be married couple with children. Eighteen per cent of families with children were families of cohabiting couples. About the same proportion of families with children were families of mother and children. The share 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 229 families with children the parents are a registered same-sex couple.

At the end of 2009, there were 54,000 reconstituted families in Finland. A reconstituted family is one where at least one child under the age of 18 is the child of one parent only. There were 78,000 of such children. The number of reconstituted families had decreased by 90 from the previous year. Roughly one-half of the parents of reconstituted families were cohabiting and one-half were married.

Families by type in 1990–2009

Type of family	1990	1995	2000	2005	2007	2008	2009	Change 2008–2009
Families total	1 365 341	1 382 970	1 401 963	1 426 002	1 437 709	1 444 386	1 450 488	6 102
Married couple without children	364 452	395 953	436 019	481 209	496 814	504 728	509 916	5 188
Married couple with children	640 062	579 578	514 868	468 266	456 235	452 180	448 897	-3 283
Cohabiting couple no children	123 471	135 996	160 132	180 590	188 172	191 177	193 894	2 717
Cohabiting couple with children	65 896	85 309	102 581	112 847	115 860	115 966	116 797	831
Mother and children	147 297	159 063	159 432	153 024	150 251	149 631	149 823	192
Father and children	24 161	27 071	28 931	29 238	29 288	29 460	29 765	305
Registered male couple ¹⁾	.	.	.	398	527	579	625	46
Registered female couple ¹⁾	.	.	.	430	562	665	771	106
Family population	4 101 922	4 093 038	4 053 850	4 037 753	4 045 561	4 051 662	4 059 511	7 849
Population 31.12.	4 998 478	5 116 829	5 181 115	5 255 580	5 300 484	5 326 314	5 351 427	25 113
Proportion of family population	82.1	80.0	78.2	76.8	76.3	76.1	75.9	-0.2
Averige size of family	3.00	2.96	2.89	2.83	2.81	2.81	2.81	2.80

1) Families of the type “registered couple with children” numbered 240.

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 - 2009 (28.5.2010)
Appendix table 2. Family population and average size of family in 1950 - 2009 (28.5.2010)
Appendix table 3. Families with underage children by type in 1950 - 2009 (28.5.2010)
Appendix table 4. Reconstituted families 1990 - 2009 (28.5.2010)

Figures

Quality descriptions

Quality description, families 2009 (28.5.2010)

Updated 28.5.2010

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Families [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-3231. 2009. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 20.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/perh/2009/perh_2009_2010-05-28_tie_001_en.html