National Family and Household Projections: 2001 (base) - 2021

(Based on Series 4B: medium fertility, medium mortality, long-term annual net migration of 5,000 and 'B' living arrangement type rates). 

• The number of families is projected to reach 1.28 million by 2021, an increase of 230,000 or 22 percent from an estimated 1.05 million families at 30 June 2001.
• Couple without children families are projected to increase by 51 percent, from 407,000 in 2001 to 614,000 in 2021.
• The number of couple without children families will overtake the number of two-parent families by 2006.
• The number of households is projected to reach 1.82 million by 2021, an increase of 380,000 or 26 percent from an estimated 1.44 million households at 30 June 2001.
• One-person households are projected to increase by 45 percent, from 333,000 in 2001 to 482,000 in 2021.
• There will be an average of 2.4 people per household by 2021, compared with 2.6 people per household in 2001.