The traditional family unit in decline

The "nuclear family" is becoming a thing of the past, replaced by a diverse range of households, researchers say.

A report released yesterday by the Ministry of Social Development, "Patterns of Family Formation and Change in New Zealand", provides a detailed picture of how the New Zealand family has changed in recent decades.

Commissioned by Waikato University's Population Studies Centre, the report showed children staying home longer, more couples separating and more blended families.

Launching the report, Dr Arunachalam Dharmalingam said it provided quantitative information about trends, many of them well established.

"It also confirms that families are diverse and that families change in form over time.

"They may not be living in the traditional nuclear family, but there are families of different types and they are all very viable."

The findings will help develop public policy to ensure the interests of children living in a range of family situations are protected.

Key findings of the report include:

* The age at which women first marry has risen and young women are now more likely to cohabit than marry in their first union. But the proportion of women in relationships has remained steady, with the two trends counterbalancing each other.

* The peak years for marriage are between 20 and 24, after which the probability declines.

* The number of couples who separate has increased. About one woman in three separates within 20 years of marrying. The likelihood of separating declines as the marriage continues.

* People who have separated are more likely to form new relationships, with a third of women entering a new partnership within two years of separation and three-quarters repartnering within 10 years.

* Women who are older at separation or have children are less likely to repartner.

* The age women have their first child has been rising steadily. Intervals between births have also been increasing. Births outside marriage have become more common.

* Only 17 per cent of university-qualified women have given birth by age 25, compared with 70 per cent of women without qualifications.

* Sole parenthood rates have risen significantly, with nearly half of mothers spending some time as a sole parent before turning 50. Young mothers are the most likely to be sole parents.

* Blended families - those including children from a prior union of one or both partners - are increasing. Around one in five women have spent some time living in a blended family.

* Children are staying at home longer. Girls leave home earlier than boys, with 58 per cent of girls leaving between ages 17 and 20, compared with 48 per cent of males.

* Maori women are more likely to enter a first union before age 20, cohabit, have children earlier and live in a blended family. They are no more likely to separate or become sole parents.

The report is based on a 1995 survey of New Zealand women, with extra information from a survey in 2001.

- NZPA