The initial evidence from Census 2011 indicates considerable stability in trends in family and household formation patterns since 2006. Many of the changes in the composition of Irish families and households – as in other western societies – can be attributed to the postponement and ‘unbundling’ of family life transitions, especially in early adulthood. People are waiting longer to marry, set up house and have children, and the sequencing of those transitions is no longer as ordered or closely scheduled as in the past.
Cohabitation increased rapidly in Ireland from the mid 1990s, but according to the This is Ireland report, the rate of increase slowed between 2006 and 2011. The younger average age of cohabiting couples in 2011 is consistent with earlier research showing that, for most people in Ireland, cohabitation is a precursor to marriage. However, the growth in the proportion of cohabiting couples with two or more children might indicate a small increase in the number for whom cohabitation is an alternative to marriage.
Irish family patterns are distinctive from those of some other western countries in two respects: the birth rate remains relatively high and the propensity for marriages to dissolve remains comparatively low. As the This is Ireland report notes, the continuing high numbers of births are largely explained by the high proportion of women in their childbearing years, rather than by a trend for women to have more children.
The number of divorced people in Ireland has increased steadily since 1996, to 87,770 people in 2011. Calculating separated and divorced persons as a proportion of those who were ever married gives one way of measuring the divorce rate – which increased from 8.7 per cent in 2006 to 9.7 percent in 2011. However, this small upward trend is unlikely to change Ireland’s position as one of the low-divorce countries of Europe.
While the number of families headed by lone parents increased between 2006 and 2011, amongst families where the youngest child was aged less than 15 years, the proportion of lone parent families remained about the same in 2011 compared to 2006. It’s important to also remember that many lone-parents are either widowed, or divorced or separated.
Households with one or more children, oldest child younger than 15 years, by family type
| |
2006
|
2011
|
| Cohabiting |
29,322
|
40,022
|
| Husband and Wife |
166,149
|
192,187
|
| Lone Father |
4,524
|
5,403
|
| Lone Mother |
62,860
|
71,013
|
| Total |
262,855
|
308,625
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
% |
%
|
| Cohabiting |
11.15
|
12.96
|
| Husband and Wife |
63.20
|
62.27
|
| Lone Father |
1.72
|
1.75
|
| Lone Mother |
23.91
|
23.00
|
| Total |
100
|
100
|
In general, then, over the past 30 years there has been some increase in the diversity of Irish family forms, as young adults have postponed marriage and childbirth, and have disassembled the timing and sequencing of those transitions. But it would appear that there has been little change in the composition of Irish families between 2006 and 2011, and Irish family diversity remains limited compared to other western countries.
One demographic feature that may augur change in the near future is the decline in the number of people aged 15-29 years. This has happened partly because this cohort was already comparatively small due to a decreasing number of births in the 1980s and early 1990s, and partly due to emigration in the current economic climate, and it will contribute towards the growing age dependency ratio, in the context of the high birth rate and the increased longevity of older people. This increased age dependency ration will create challenges for Irish families and the Irish state, as we struggle to provide care for young and old in the context of reduced economic prosperity.
To download the Census 2011 data visit the CSO website here
To view interactive graphs/maps of Census 2011: visit http://www.airo.ie/mapping-module/census
Jane Gray
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Ireland after NAMA 
March 29, 2012
Census 2011: Families
Posted by irelandafternama under #Commentaries | Tags: 2011, census, divorce, family, Ireland, lone parents |Leave a Comment
The initial evidence from Census 2011 indicates considerable stability in trends in family and household formation patterns since 2006. Many of the changes in the composition of Irish families and households – as in other western societies – can be attributed to the postponement and ‘unbundling’ of family life transitions, especially in early adulthood. People are waiting longer to marry, set up house and have children, and the sequencing of those transitions is no longer as ordered or closely scheduled as in the past.
Cohabitation increased rapidly in Ireland from the mid 1990s, but according to the This is Ireland report, the rate of increase slowed between 2006 and 2011. The younger average age of cohabiting couples in 2011 is consistent with earlier research showing that, for most people in Ireland, cohabitation is a precursor to marriage. However, the growth in the proportion of cohabiting couples with two or more children might indicate a small increase in the number for whom cohabitation is an alternative to marriage.
Irish family patterns are distinctive from those of some other western countries in two respects: the birth rate remains relatively high and the propensity for marriages to dissolve remains comparatively low. As the This is Ireland report notes, the continuing high numbers of births are largely explained by the high proportion of women in their childbearing years, rather than by a trend for women to have more children.
The number of divorced people in Ireland has increased steadily since 1996, to 87,770 people in 2011. Calculating separated and divorced persons as a proportion of those who were ever married gives one way of measuring the divorce rate – which increased from 8.7 per cent in 2006 to 9.7 percent in 2011. However, this small upward trend is unlikely to change Ireland’s position as one of the low-divorce countries of Europe.
While the number of families headed by lone parents increased between 2006 and 2011, amongst families where the youngest child was aged less than 15 years, the proportion of lone parent families remained about the same in 2011 compared to 2006. It’s important to also remember that many lone-parents are either widowed, or divorced or separated.
Households with one or more children, oldest child younger than 15 years, by family type
2006
2011
29,322
40,022
166,149
192,187
4,524
5,403
62,860
71,013
262,855
308,625
%
11.15
12.96
63.20
62.27
1.72
1.75
23.91
23.00
100
100
In general, then, over the past 30 years there has been some increase in the diversity of Irish family forms, as young adults have postponed marriage and childbirth, and have disassembled the timing and sequencing of those transitions. But it would appear that there has been little change in the composition of Irish families between 2006 and 2011, and Irish family diversity remains limited compared to other western countries.
One demographic feature that may augur change in the near future is the decline in the number of people aged 15-29 years. This has happened partly because this cohort was already comparatively small due to a decreasing number of births in the 1980s and early 1990s, and partly due to emigration in the current economic climate, and it will contribute towards the growing age dependency ratio, in the context of the high birth rate and the increased longevity of older people. This increased age dependency ration will create challenges for Irish families and the Irish state, as we struggle to provide care for young and old in the context of reduced economic prosperity.
To download the Census 2011 data visit the CSO website here
To view interactive graphs/maps of Census 2011: visit http://www.airo.ie/mapping-module/census
Jane Gray
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