Marriage Trends

Is Pakistan’s average household size changing?

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Answer

Direct answer

HIES estimates show a modest decline in average household size from 6.24 people in 2018–19 to 5.98 in 2024–25. Urban households fell from 5.97 to 5.69, while rural households moved from 6.40 to 6.18. This is a household-size trend, not direct proof that nuclear families are replacing joint families. Births, deaths, migration, housing and how a household is defined can all change the average. Relationship-to-head data is needed to identify which relatives actually live together.

6.24 → 5.98Average household members, HIES 2018–19 to 2024–25
Evidence

Sources used

National Survey · 2026

Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024–25

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics

National survey of 32,814 households covering education, internet, fertility, family planning, household size, income and consumption.View source
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