Statistikk innhold

Statistics on

Families and households

The statistics describe the size and composition of families and households in Norway. In addition, the statistics describe family relations from the child's point of view; whether the child lives with siblings and married parents, cohabiting parents or single parents.

Updated: 18 September 2025
Next update: Not yet determined

Selected figures from these statistics

  • Families and households
    Families and households
    20242025
    Private households2 617 2682 649 395
    Living alone1 067 7251 090 359
    Couples without children636 291640 956
    Married couples with children 0-17 years300 651298 874
    Cohabiting couples with children 0-17 years187 170187 939
    Mother/father with children 0-17 years108 371108 160
    One-family households with adult children186 716193 072
    Two or more-family households without children 0-17 years97 75597 169
    Two or more-family households with children 0-17 years32 58932 866
    Persons in private households5 508 7125 555 587
    Number of persons per private household2.102.10
    Population by type of households5 539 4165 584 766
    Private households5 508 7125 555 587
    One-family household5 097 7895 145 104
    Two or more-family households410 923410 483
    Other households30 70429 179
    Explanation of symbols
  • Children 0-17 years.
    Children 0-17 years.
    20242025
    Children 0-17 years, total1 096 7881 092 851
    Sibling
    Without siblings living at home214 764213 629
    With siblings living at home882 024879 222
    Age
    Children 0-5 years331 478330 451
    Children 6-17 years765 310762 400
    Children live with
    Married parents565 564560 423
    Cohabiting parents282 094285 172
    Mother or father, single176 472177 497
    Mother/father and step-parent72 65669 758
    Explanation of symbols
  • Children 0-17 years, by number of siblings living at home and the parents' cohabitation arrangements
    Children 0-17 years, by number of siblings living at home and the parents' cohabitation arrangements
    20242025
    Children, total1 096 7881 092 851
    Living with both parents, total847 658845 595
    Children with no siblings131 266131 123
    Children with siblings, total716 392714 472
    Children with 1 sibling430 404431 136
    Children with 2 siblings218 840217 049
    Children with 3 siblings47 95047 503
    Children with 4 siblings12 28812 000
    Children with 5 siblings or more6 9106 784
    Living with both parents, married565 564560 423
    Children with no siblings70 19870 241
    Children with siblings, total495 366490 182
    Children with 1 sibling274 911273 526
    Children with 2 siblings163 992161 447
    Children with 3 siblings39 51438 806
    Children with 4 siblings10 80110 441
    Children with 5 siblings or more6 1485 962
    Living with both parents, cohabiting282 094285 172
    Children with no siblings61 06860 882
    Children with siblings, total221 026224 290
    Children with 1 sibling155 493157 610
    Children with 2 siblings54 84855 602
    Children with 3 siblings8 4368 697
    Children with 4 siblings1 4871 559
    Children with 5 siblings or more762822
    Living with one of the parents, total249 128247 255
    Children with no siblings83 49782 506
    Children with siblings, total165 631164 749
    Children with 1 sibling100 36799 731
    Children with 2 siblings45 77245 786
    Children with 3 siblings13 82513 616
    Children with 4 siblings3 9633 896
    Children with 5 siblings or more1 7041 720
    Living with only mother140 229140 620
    Children with no siblings50 71750 298
    Children with siblings, total89 51290 322
    Children with 1 sibling57 90858 197
    Children with 2 siblings21 95322 430
    Children with 3 siblings6 5356 621
    Children with 4 siblings2 0992 040
    Children with 5 siblings or more1 0171 034
    Living with mother/step-parent57 40254 838
    Children with no siblings12 87212 434
    Children with siblings, total44 53042 404
    Children with 1 sibling23 14321 903
    Children with 2 siblings15 04114 353
    Children with 3 siblings4 7804 585
    Children with 4 siblings1 1811 161
    Children with 5 siblings or more385402
    Living with only father36 24336 877
    Children with no siblings16 57516 500
    Children with siblings, total19 66820 377
    Children with 1 sibling14 18414 642
    Children with 2 siblings4 5564 824
    Children with 3 siblings726678
    Children with 4 siblings134169
    Children with 5 siblings or more6864
    Living with father/step-parent15 25414 920
    Children with no siblings3 3333 274
    Children with siblings, total11 92111 646
    Children with 1 sibling5 1324 989
    Children with 2 siblings4 2224 179
    Children with 3 siblings1 7841 732
    Children with 4 siblings549526
    Children with 5 siblings or more234220
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The information under «About the statistics» was last updated 3 June 2021.

Person

The statistics covers all persons considered resident in Norway, according to the Central Population Register, on 1 January. The Population Registration Act of 16 January 1970 (with later amendments) and its provisions from 1994, define persons that are considered resident in Norway and how their address is determined. The total number of persons resident in an area is known as the total population. As from 1 January 2014 students that are registered in the CPR as living in their parents home are no longer part of the population of the family and household statistics.

Couple

Two persons are considered a couple when they are residents in the same household and are married to each other, registered partners or cohabitants, i.e. living together without being married or having a registered partnership. In addition to be living in the same household and be of opposite sex, two persons must fulfil at least one of the following requirements to be considered a cohabiting couple:

  • have a child in common
  • have checked out for being cohabitants in the Census 2001 questionnaire
  • have been classified as a cohabitant couple in the system for data processing, control and revision

The data quality is not good enough to identify same sex cohabitants, and statistics for this group is accordingly not published.

Separated couples registered as resident in the same dwelling are considered a couple when they fulfil at least one of the 3 requirements above. Because a separated couple legally still is considered to be married, they are classified as married couples in the family and household statistics. Divorced couples still living in the same household fulfilling the same requirements are classified as cohabiting couples.

Child

A child is defined as any person with no partner and no own children, who has de jure place of usual residence in the household of at least one of their parents. A child is either biological or adopted. A foster child is not considered a child in this statistics.

Family

A family consists of persons resident in the same dwelling and related to each other as spouse, registered partner, cohabitant, and/or parent and child (regardless of the child's age). At most, a family may consist of two subsequent generations and one couple only. This means that persons that are married or cohabiting and/or living with their own children, do not belong to their parents' family. When persons that have previously been married are living with their parents, this is regarded as two families. Single persons are also considered a family, whereby all persons are part of a family, either together with others or on their own.

Household

A household consists of persons that are permanently resident in the same private dwelling or institution.

A private household comprises persons resident in the same dwelling, where this dwelling is not an institution. An institutional household comprises persons who have board, lodging, care or nursing at an institution. Employees that are resident in an institution are always considered resident in a private household. The statistics does not provide any figures for institutional households; however the number of persons not living in private households is given. This group is referred to as resident in Other households and comprises persons resident in institutional households as well as persons of no fixed abode.

The composition of households is based on information from the registers mentioned under the headline Production; Data sources and sampling and Collection of data, revision, and estimation. Households may consist of one or more families. Persons belonging to the same family also belong to the same household.

Standard classification of family type 2006

Single persons are also considered a family, whereby all persons are part of a family, either together with others or on their own. A family that consists of two or more persons is known as a family nucleus. The Norwegian standard classification of families deviates somewhat from international recommendations. Internationally it is not recommended to include persons living alone in family statistics.

Families with children are families where at least one child is registered as resident together with the parent(s). Families without children are either de facto childless, or families where the children have moved out of the family home. migration).

The number of couples with/without children will vary depending on whether an age limit is set for children living at home. Based on an age limit of 18 years for children, couples with children over the age of 18 years will be classified as couples without children 0 - 17 years.

Standard classification of households 2006

The standard classification classifies the households by types of families in the household. Since the definition of a family deviates a little from the international recommendations the classification of households will also differ a little from what is recommended internationally. If required it is possible to produce figures in accordance with international standards.

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