How common are nuclear versus extended-family households among married Pakistanis?
Last reviewed:
Direct answer
No current official survey publishes a simple national nuclear-versus-extended percentage specifically for married Pakistanis or newlyweds. Census and DHS household rosters identify members and relationships, but classifications depend on whether married siblings, parents, grandparents or other relatives share the dwelling and cooking arrangements. A study found 41.2% of selected Pakistani couples co-resided with the husband’s mother, which is informative but not a complete joint-family estimate. Household type is also dynamic and may change with migration, births, housing costs or elder care.
Sources used
National Census Report 2023
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
Official census report defining marital-status categories and reporting national and provincial distributions.View sourcePakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18
National Institute of Population Studies and The DHS Program
National survey evidence for marriage timing, women, households and health indicators.View sourceWomen’s co-residence with mothers-in-law and maternal healthcare
Social Science & Medicine, PubMed Central
Cross-country DHS analysis; 41.2% of Pakistani couples in its analytic sample lived with the husband’s mother.View source