STATISTICS

Malta with lowest number of single-person households in EU

Malta registered the lowest proportion of single person households among the European Member States, according to a new report by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency.

The report ‘Household Compositions’ includes data showing average household sizes and types, including the amount of children present per household across the EU member states.

Malta scored below the EU average of single person households, the proportion varying from just under 20%, closely followed by Portugal and Slovakia at 22%. On the other end Sweden leads the table with 51% of households reporting a single occupant, polling 7% higher than neighbouring Denmark (44%), and 8% higher than Lithuania (43%).

As of 2017, the average proportion of single occupant households in EU rose to 34%. A gradual rise from 31% as recorded in 2010.

Household sizes varied from 1.9 members in Sweden, slightly below Germany and Denmark (both 2.0 members), to 2.8 members in Croatia; with the average size hovering around the 2.3 mark. Malta placed above average in this regard, tied for second highest average with Ireland.

The most common household type in Europe in 2017 was a single person living alone (33.6%).

Households with more than one adult were more likely to be a ‘couple without children’, accounting for 24.% of all private households. Followed by the ‘couple with children’ type, of which there were 44.3 million in 2017.

Malta closely shadowed EU average in number of children per household, with almost half of all households with children (47%) in union were found to have only one child, while 40% had two children, and 13% had three children or more.