Introduction Clare Simpson explained that PAS had commissioned the evidence response to find out what census and other data showed about how families in Scotland were changing between the censuses of 2001 and 2011; and also to find out about gaps in data.
Households and families The evidence indicates that the number of households increased faster than the number of people in households meaning that the average household size has decreased - more people are living alone or in smaller households. This trend is not new and has been ongoing since the 1970s.
Family formation and dissolution Cohabitation is now more acceptable. This is a common pattern across Europe. In 2011, for the first time, the number of children registered to unmarried parents outstripped those registered to married parents. But many of these people marry after having children. Divorce rates are lower but cohabitation is increasing.
Children in need of care Between 2001 and 2011 there was an increase of 49% in the numbers of looked after children and young people in Scotland. However, in the period since 2011 the numbers have flattened out. Policy has moved away from children being 'taken into care'. More children are looked after at home, by foster carers and in kinship care arrangements.
Families affected by disability This is a group of families which has particular vulnerabilities and yet there is relatively little information. The evidence response suggests we need to look at how we gather that information.
Parental working patterns There are very stark gender divisions in working patterns with women six times more likely than men to be looking after the home or family. Women are far more likely than men to work part-time, and this is especially true for women with children.
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