Multi-generational households rise
Source: Agencies |
March 19, 2010, Friday
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MORE Americans are living in the same household with their extended family because of the poor economy and changing social factors, a research group said yesterday.
About 16 percent of the US population now live in multi-generational households, up from 12.1 percent in 1980, according to the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends project.
A multi-generational household includes at least two adult generations or a grandparent and at least one other generation.
"This represents a significant trend reversal. Starting right after World War II, the extended family household fell out of favor with the American public," the report said. "In 1940, about a quarter of the population lived in one; by 1980 just 12 percent did."
Since bottoming out around 1980, the multi-generational household mounted a comeback to a record 49 million Americans in 2008 due to a mix of economic and social factors, the Pew Research analysis said.
Between 2007 and 2008, the most recent year for which data is available, the number of Americans living with their extended family grew by 2.6 million.
The report cited high unemployment and rising foreclosures as part of the reason for the spike.
Social factors that add to the trend include a higher median age of first time marriage. Another factor has been the large number of immigrants, mainly Latin Americans and Asians, that began arriving around 1970.
About 16 percent of the US population now live in multi-generational households, up from 12.1 percent in 1980, according to the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends project.
A multi-generational household includes at least two adult generations or a grandparent and at least one other generation.
"This represents a significant trend reversal. Starting right after World War II, the extended family household fell out of favor with the American public," the report said. "In 1940, about a quarter of the population lived in one; by 1980 just 12 percent did."
Since bottoming out around 1980, the multi-generational household mounted a comeback to a record 49 million Americans in 2008 due to a mix of economic and social factors, the Pew Research analysis said.
Between 2007 and 2008, the most recent year for which data is available, the number of Americans living with their extended family grew by 2.6 million.
The report cited high unemployment and rising foreclosures as part of the reason for the spike.
Social factors that add to the trend include a higher median age of first time marriage. Another factor has been the large number of immigrants, mainly Latin Americans and Asians, that began arriving around 1970.
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