Families
A family is defined as a couple with or without child(ren), or one parent and their child(ren), living in the same household.
- In 2001, 76 percent of Tuvaluan people lived in a family situation – a similar proportion to the New Zealand population (75 percent).
- A two-parent family with children was the most common family type for Tuvaluan people, as figure 4.1 shows. Of those living in a family in 2001, three-quarters (75 percent) were in a two-parent family – the highest proportion among the seven largest Pacific ethnic groups. In 2001, the comparable figures for the Pacific and New Zealand populations were 65 percent and 57 percent respectively.
- Eighteen percent of Tuvaluan people living in a family were in a one-parent family – the lowest proportion among the seven largest Pacific ethnic groups. By comparison, 28 percent of the Pacific population and 17 percent of the New Zealand population were living in a one-parent family in 2001.
- Seven percent of Tuvaluan people were living as a couple without children in 2001. The equivalent proportions for the Pacific and New Zealand populations were 8 percent and 26 percent respectively.
- Forty-six percent of Tuvaluan people were living in extended family situations in 2001 – the highest proportion among the seven largest Pacific ethnic groups. By comparison, 29 percent of the Pacific population and 8 percent of the New Zealand population were living in extended families in 2001.
Households
A household is defined as either one person who lives alone or two or more people who usually reside together and share facilities such as eating, cooking and bathroom facilities.
- Fifty-nine percent of Tuvaluan people lived in one-family households in 2001. A further 38 percent lived in households that contained two or more families – the highest proportion among the seven largest Pacific ethnic groups. The equivalent proportions of the Pacific and New Zealand populations living in households with two or more families were 20 percent and 5 percent respectively.