Families in France 2021, by family type

With a total number of more than 7.9 million, France's most common type of family in 2021 was composed of a couple without children. However, in France, like in other Western countries, family models have undergone a variety of transformations in recent years. 

Families in France

According to the source, most children in France in 2021 were living with a couple but there were also more than three million children who were raised by single parents. More than 2.5 million households in France that year were composed of single mothers with children compared to 612,980 for single fathers with children. Moreover, with the increase in divorces, blended families also became more common. In 2021, 329,000 children were living in a blended family.

The evolution of family structure

In France, mentalities are changing about family and raising children. In a survey from 2019, most of French respondents declared that companies and employers should make it easier for men to combine childcare with work. Fathers’ role is becoming more important today. Family structure is changing as people appear to marry later and meanwhile, the number of divorces is rising. Since the 90’s the number of children born out-of-wedlock in France increased. In 2022, more than 65 percent of children born in France were born out-of-wedlock, compared to 37.2 percent in 1994. On the other hand, more children are now living in joint physical custody with a blended family or a single parent. In 2020, more than 32,000 divorces involved children born from the relationship.