Trends in household formation and living alone in South Africa, 1995-2011

In South Africa, households were formed at about twice the rate that the population grew be-tween census 1996 and census 2011 and the number of single-person households ballooned by 150%. Reweighted household survey data shows a surge in household formation in the late 1990s was driven by prime-aged and older women and Black African men, likely connected to new freedoms afforded to these groups after the transition to democracy. Household formation steadied in the 2000s, hiding variation in who formed what types of households. Astonishing growth in the rate at which South Africans live alone was led by Black African men, a group historically associated with circular labour migration. Women instead are heading up complex households including children. These changes connect to long-term marital decline. By 2011, most female heads were never-married and the growing majority population group of never-married adults increased their rate of household formation.