A: First, migrant and left-behind families face particular difficulties. Migrant families have realistic difficulties in social integration and child education. Left-behind families also suffer problems in child upbringing and care, elderly care and spousal relationships. Second, rapid aging development puts pressure on family support for the elderly. At present, China has more than 88 million households with members over 65 years old, accounting for 20 percent of all households nationwide. With the downsizing family scale, families face pressure in supporting the elderly, especially left-behind families and old people who live alone. Third, the family development support policy still leaves something to be desired. At present, we haven’t established a long-term family policy and an institutional arrangement with the family as the basic unit.

Q: How will the Chinese family develop in the future?

A: First, though the population growth rate is low, the number of families will continue to grow over time. The number of Chinese households will hit 500 million in 2040 and start to fall after peaking at 504 million in 2045, according to forecasts by the China Population and Development Research Center. Second, immediate families (consisting of parents, a married offspring and spouse, and grandchild) will witness significant growth. There were a total of 92.4 million immediate families in 2010, accounting for 23 percent of the total, up 24.9 percent compared with 2000. Immediate families will continue to see even greater growth. Third, the Chinese family’s life cycle structure will be simplified. Some family life cycle structures have been compromised, featuring a shorter expansion period, longer stability period, earlier contraction period, and earlier and longer empty nest period.

Q: Explain the scale and makeup of Chinese families?

A: Reduction in family size is an important symbol of modern family change, and has become a global trend. China is no exception. According to China’s national census data, the average number of family members stayed above five before the 1950s. The number came down to four in 1990, reached 3.1 in 2010 and dropped to 3.02 in 2012.

Family makeup features the following characteristics: significant increase in the number of small families with 1-2 members; significant drop in the number of small families with 3-4 members; decreasing number of medium-sized families with 5-6 members; continued drop in large families with more than seven members; and consistent development between urban and rural families. The majority of families had three members in 2010, with two-member families coming in second.

Q: What are the main types of Chinese families and relevant changes?

A: Family can be divided into core family, immediate family, joint family, single family and other types based on intergenerational hierarchy and kinship. With economic and social development as well as demographic transition, China’s households and distribution are experiencing significant changes. First, the proportion of core families (consisting of a married couple and unmarried child) has seen a continuous drop. Second, core family makeup has changed significantly. The standard core family consisting of a married couple and unmarried child has seen a major decline in proportion, while core families with a married couple have taken up a greater proportion, with number only next to the standard one . The single core family (meaning divorced, spouse-bereft or unmarried single mother or father and unmarried child) has witnessed a continuous drop in proportion. Third, the number of immediate families consisting of parents, a married offspring and their better half, as well as grandchildren has been steadily on the rise. Fourth, the number of single families has increased quickly.