Households

Households are fundamental social and economic units comprising one or more people who occupy a housing unit and share living arrangements. The term is used in social science and statistics to describe the group that makes shared decisions about purchases, meals, housing, and resource use, regardless of family status. A household may consist of a single person living alone or several unrelated individuals living together; it is distinguished from the dwelling, which is the physical structure.

In economic terms, households are the primary unit of private consumption and can be a source of labor, savings, and investment decisions. Household income, expenditures, and assets are key variables for macroeconomic analysis; households influence demand for goods and services, housing, and energy use.

Households vary in size and composition, from one-person households to large multi-person households. They may be traditional family households, cohabiting couples with children, or non-family households such as roommates or communes. In many countries, census and surveys categorize households by size, age of members, and presence of children.

Formation and dissolution of households are affected by life events (marriage, birth, divorce, migration, aging). Global trends include urbanization, aging populations, declining birth rates in some regions, and differing patterns of multi-generational living across cultures.

Because households determine consumption, housing demand, and welfare needs, they are central to governmental planning and statistical measurement. Data on households inform social policy, housing policy, and economic forecasting.