basisfamilie

Basisfamilie is a term used in Dutch demographic and social policy literature to describe the basic family unit that forms the core of household life and is central to population statistics. The word combines basis, meaning foundation, with familie, meaning family, signaling its role as the fundamental domestic unit in data collection and policy analysis.

Definition and composition

A basisfamilie typically consists of one or two adults (a couple) and their dependent children living in a single dwelling. The children may be biological, adopted, or foster, depending on legal definitions and country context. The defining aspect is that the adults share responsibility for childrearing within one household.

Context and usage

The concept is used in demography, housing policy, welfare analysis, and education research to study patterns of fertility, family formation, housing demand, childcare, and child well-being. In many Dutch studies, basisfamilie is treated as the primary analytical unit, analogous to the nuclear family, though basisfamilie is often emphasized for its functional role in data gathering rather than everyday language.

Relation to other family forms

An extended family includes relatives beyond the core household, while a single-parent family is categorized separately. Multigenerational households may be analyzed differently depending on the study design, but they are not always classified as basisfamilies.

See also

Nuclear family, Extended family, Single-parent family, Household.