Mnemonic: hh_families_type
Applicability: Household
Type: Derived variable
Definition
Classifies households in an alternative way to the "household composition" classification used in most standard census results.
The type of family present classifies a household. However, households with more than one family are categorised using this priority order:
- married couple family
- civil partnership couple family
- cohabiting couple family
- lone parent family
Within a family type, a family with dependent children takes priority.
The alternative definitions used in tables that use this classification are:
- married couple household
- same-sex civil partnership couple household
- cohabiting couple household
- lone parent household
Classification
Total number of categories: 6
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | One-person household |
| 2 | Married or civil partnership couple household |
| 3 | Cohabiting couple household |
| 4 | Lone parent household |
| 5 | Multi-person household |
| -8 | Does not apply* |
*Households with no usual residents.
View all household type classifications.
Background
Read about how we developed and tested the questions for Census 2021.
Comparability with the 2011 Census
Broadly comparable
We have added opposite-sex civil partnership and same-sex marriage categories into the variable that have come available since 2011. These can be collapsed to civil partnership and marriage, the same as the 2011 variable. Cohabiting couples (adults not in a marriage or civil partnership) include both same-sex and opposite-sex couples in both 2011 and 2021.
What does broadly comparable mean?
A variable that is broadly comparable means that it can be generally compared with the same variable used in the 2011 Census. However, changes may have been made to the question or options that people could choose from or how write-in answers are classified.
England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland comparisons
Not comparable
This variable is not comparable as the data is not available for all countries.
What does not comparable mean?
A variable that is not comparable means that it cannot be compared for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Find out more about variables produced for Census 2021 in Northern Ireland and Census 2022 in Scotland.
Census 2021 data that uses this variable
You can create a custom dataset.