Household


A household consists of one or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is important to economics and inheritance.
Household models include families, blended families, shared housing, group homes, boarding houses, houses of multiple occupancy, and single room occupancy. In feudal societies, the royal household and medieval households of the wealthy included servants and other retainers.

Government definitions

For statistical purposes in the United Kingdom, a household is defined as "one person or a group of people who have the accommodation as their only or main residence and for a group, either share at least one meal a day or share the living accommodation, that is, a living room or sitting room". The introduction of legislation to control houses of multiple occupations in the UK Housing Act required a tighter definition of a single household. People can be considered a household if they are related: full- or half-blood, foster, step-parent/child, in-laws, a married couple or unmarried but "living as ...".
The United States Census definition also hinges on "separate living quarters": "those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the building." According to the U.S. census, a householder is the "person in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented "; if no person qualifies, any adult resident of a housing unit is considered a householder. The U.S. government formerly used "head of the household" and "head of the family", but those terms were replaced with "householder" in 1980. In the census definition of a household, it
On July 15, 1998, Statistics Canada said: "A household is generally defined as being composed of a person or group of persons who co-reside in, or occupy, a dwelling."

Economic definition

Although a one-income-stream economic theory simplifies modeling, it does not necessarily reflect reality. Many, if not most, households have several income-earning members. Most economic models do not equate households and traditional families, and there is not always a one-to-one relationship between households and families.

Social definitions

In social work, a household is defined similarly: a residential group in which housework is divided and performed by householders. Care may be delivered by one householder to another, depending upon their respective needs, abilities, and disabilities. Household composition may affect life and health expectations and outcomes for its members. Eligibility for community services and welfare benefits may depend upon household composition.
In sociology, household work strategy is the division of labour among members of a household. Household work strategies vary over the life cycle as household members age, or with the economic environment; they may be imposed by one person, or be decided collectively.
Feminism examines how gender roles affect the division of labour in households. In The Second Shift and The Time Bind, sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild presents evidence that in two-career couples men and women spend about equal amounts of time working; however, women spend more time on housework. Cathy Young says that in some cases, women may prevent the equal participation of men in housework and parenting.

Models

Household models in the English-speaking world include traditional and blended families, shared housing, and group homes for people with support needs. Other models which may meet definitions of a household include boarding houses, houses in multiple occupation, and single room occupancy.

History

In feudal or aristocratic societies, a household may include servants or retainers who derive their income from the household's principal income.

Housing statistics

CountryIndoor WCBath/showerHot running water
Belgium94%92%87%
Denmark97%94%N/A
France94%93%95%
Germany99%97%98%
Greece85%85%84%
Ireland94%92%91%
Italy99%95%93%
Luxembourg99%97%97%
NetherlandsN/A99%100%
Portugal80%N/AN/A
Spain97%96%N/A
UK99%100%N/A

CountryBath/showerIndoor WCCentral heating
Belgium73.9%79.0%-
Denmark85.1%95.8%54.6%
France85.2%85.4%67.6%
Germany92.3%96.0%70.0%
Greece69.3%70.9%-
Ireland82.0%84.5%39.2%
Italy86.4%87.7%56.5%
Luxembourg86.2%97.3%73.9%
Netherlands95.9%-66.1%
Portugal58.0%58.7%-
Spain85.3%-22.5%
United Kingdom98.0%97.3%-

CountryArea
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Finland
France
East Germany
West Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Soviet Union
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
Yugoslavia

CountryArea
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
East Germany
West Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom

CountryYearArea
Australia1993
United States1992
South Korea1993
United Kingdom1992
Germany1993
Japan1993

Country%
Belgium19%
France17%
West Germany7%
Greece29%
Ireland22%
Italy11%
Japan54%
Norway17%
Portugal43%
Spain12%
United Kingdom6%

Country%
Belgium24%
France17%
West Germany11%
Italy11%
Japan17%
Norway18%
Spain39%
United Kingdom4%

Country1960–611970–711978–79
Britain87%88%95%
Germany64%85%92.5%

Country1960–611970–711978–79
Britain72%91%94.3%
Germany51%82%89.1%

YearRunning waterWCBath or showerCentral heating
196221.6%59.5%71.1%80.7%
19689.2%45.2%52.5%65.1%
19752.8%26.2%29.8%46.9%
19781.3%20.9%22.9%39.7%

Country19701978
Great Britain34%53%
Germany44%64%

Amenity%
Bath/shower95%
Flush toilet96%

Amenity196119711979
Running water66%82.2%89%
WC33%41.8%50%
Bath/shower22.4%38.7%50%
Central heating2.5%10.6%22%

CountryRunning waterWCBath/shower
Austria84.2%69.8%52.9%
Belgium88.0%50.4%47.8%
Czechoslovakia75.3%49.0%58.6%
Denmark98.7%90.3%76.5%
Finland72.0%61.4%-
Greece64.9%41.2%35.6%
Hungary36.1%27.2%31.7%
Ireland78.2%69.2%55.4%
Italy86.1%79.0%64.5%
Netherlands-80.8%81.4%
Norway97.5%69.0%66.1%
Portugal47.8%33.7%32.6%
Spain70.9%70.9%46.4%
Sweden97.4%90.1%78.3%
Switzerland-93.3%80.9%
United Kingdom-86.3%90.7%
Yugoslavia33.6%26.2%24.6%

YearBathIndoor/outdoor WCHot running waterIndoor WC
195137.6%7.7%--
196122.4%6.5%21.8%-
196615.4%1.7%12.5%18.3%
19719.1%1.1%6.5%11.5%

YearBathIndoor/outdoor WCHot running waterIndoor WC
19517.5%14.9%--
19614.4%6.7%1.8%-
19664.1%6.4%2.0%4.4%
19713.2%4.1%1.9%3.1%

CountryYearWashing machineRefrigeratorTelevisionTelephone
Northern Ireland197145.4%40.1%87.5%27.0%
Scotland197165.0%53.2%92.1%36.1%
United Kingdom196453.0%34.0%80.0%2.2%
United Kingdom197164.3%68.8%91.4%37.8%
United States196587.4%99.5%97.1%85.0%
United States197092.1%99.8598.7%92.0%

CountryWashing machineRefrigeratorTelevisionTelephone
Belgium74.7%24.9%47.6%8.2%
France39.6%47.0%34.4%1.4%
West Germany66.2%62.1%51.3%1.8%
Italy13.6%50.2%47.9%20.0%
Luxembourg82.3%64.7%27.9%23.0%
Netherlands80.4%25.5%58.0%9.4%

CountryWashing machineRefrigeratorTelevisionTelephone
Belgium68.5%57.3%48.3%40.0%
France48.2%71.3%43.3%15.2%
West Germany62.2%79.1%51.8%19.6%
Italy38.3%81.9%79.3%57.9%
Luxembourg82.3%79.2%25.2%67.3%
Netherlands73.9%51.6%56.2%57.4%

CountryYearRunning waterIndoor running waterToiletFlush toiletBath/shower
Austria1961100.0%63.6%--29.6%
Austria1970-85.3%69.7%-54.5%
Belgium196176.9%-99.9%47.6%24.3%
Bulgaria196528.5%28.2%100.0%11.8%8.7%
Canada196189.1%--85.2%80.3%
Canada1967-95.2%93.5%92.5%89.8%
Canada1971---95.4%93.4%
Czechoslovakia196160.5%49.1%-39.5%33.3%
Denmark1960-92.9%100.0%83.6%48.3%
Denmark196596.7%96.7%100.0%90.9%63.4%
England and Wales1961-98.7%93.4%-78.7%
England and Wales1966---98.2%85.1%
Finland196047.1%47.1%-35.4%14.6%
France1962-77.5%43.1%39.3%28.0%
France196892.8%91.5%56.2%53.2%48.9%
East Germany1961-65.7%33.7%-22.1%
West Germany1965-98.2%-83.3%64.3%
West Germany196899.0%--86.5%66.8%
Hungary1960--100.0%22.5%-
Hungary196332.5%25.9%--18.5%
Hungary197058.6%36.4%100.0%32.7%32.2%
Ireland196157.2%51.0%64.9%53.5%33.2%
Italy196171.6%62.3%89.5%-28.9%
Luxembourg196098.8%-100.0%81.6%45.7%
Netherlands195689.6%-99.9%67.5%26.8%
New Zealand1960-90.0%---
New Zealand196199.6%87.8%-88.5%-
New Zealand196699.7%90.3%-94.0%98.1%
Norway196094.0%92.8%100.0%57.9%45.2%
Poland196039.1%29.9%26.9%18.9%13.9%
Poland1966-46.8%-33.3%-
Romania196648.4%12.3%100.0%12.2%9.6%
Scotland1961-94.0%-92.8%69.9%
Scotland1966---95.7%77.4%
Sweden1960-90.0%-76.2%61.0%
Sweden196595.2%94.3%99.7%85.3%72.9%
Switzerland1960-96.1%99.7%-68.8%
United States196094.0%92.9%-89.7%88.1%
Yugoslavia 1961-42.4%34.5%-22.5%

Country%
Belgium69.9%
Denmark57.0%
France66.9%
West Germany62.6%
Ireland65.1%
Italy69.1%
Netherlands67.2%
United Kingdom54.4%

CountryYearPublic rentalPrivate rentalOwner-occupied
Australia19885%25%70%
Belgium19866%30%62%
Denmark199021%21%58%
France199017%30%53%
Germany199025%38%37%
Ireland199014%9%78%
Italy19905%24%64%
Netherlands198843%13%44%
Spain19891%11%88%
United Kingdom199027%7%66%
United States19802%32%66%

Country%
Belgium58%
France47%
Italy17%
Netherlands21%
Germany45%
Luxembourg81%

CountryTelevisionVacuum cleanerWashing machineRefrigeratorCar
France25%32%31%37%33%
Great Britain78%71%43%22%30%
United States87%75%95%98%75%