Changes and Trends in Family Structure in Taiwan, 1990 to 2010

Abstract

Taiwan has experienced significant demographic changes since the late 20th century, including decreasing fertility rate, increasing life expectancy, postponement of marriage and childbearing, reduced marriage rate, and rise in divorce. These demographic trends are likely to change the family structure. The objective of this article is to describe and summarize the changes in family structure between 1990 and 2010 in Taiwan using the Population and Housing Census data. During this period, the average household size decreased from 4.1 to 3.0 persons per household. Also, the share of couple households with unmarried children decreased by 15.1%, and the share of single-person households increased by 8.6%. Nuclear-family households, though they became less common, remained the dominant household type. Single-person households surpassed stem-family households as the second most common household type in 2000 and 2010. Households that are at greater risk of economic hardship, such as single-parent households and skipped-generation households, also increased their respective share during this period.