The bar charts show the distribution of household sizes in the UK in 1981 and 2001. Overall, households with 2 to 4 people were more common in the UK in 1981, whereas households of 5 or 6 people were relatively infrequent. However, by the next two decades, there were significant changes, as families with more than 3 people had become relatively rare, whereas 2 and especially 1-person households grew in popularity, with the former exhibiting the highest percentage in both years.
Smaller-sized households in the UK made up larger proportions in both years. Two-person households accounted for 31% in 1981, which increased by 3% over the next two decades, reaching the highest figure in the entire dataset (34%). Similarly, 1-person households became even more prevalent, as the figure had surged from an initial 17% to 26% by 2001, marking the most significant growth.
Households of more than two people, on the other hand, exhibited a downward trend. The larger the household, the greater the decline in its proportion. Households consisting of 6 people saw a marked drop from 6% in the first year to 2% in 2001, indicating changes in household structure. The UK witnessed a noticeable plunge in three- or four-person homes as well, with both figures declining by 3% to reach 17% and 15% in 2001, respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage of people in 5-person households dipped not as sharply as in the above-categories, decreasing by two-percentage points to 6% in the final year.