The changing shape of Australian families

A recently published report has explored the changing shape of Australian families.

The AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report Modern Family found that Australians are more likely to swap house keys than wedding rings, with 78% of people living together before marriage, up from 72% ten years ago. It also revealed a drop in the nation’s annual marriage rate from 6.6 marriages per 1,000 people to 5.5 in the past decade.

Other report findings include:

• The number of blended and step-families has doubled in recent decades, together making up almost 11% of Australian families with dependent children, compared to 6.8% in 1986.
• While blended and step-families are on the increase, divorce rates in Australia have stabilised at 2.2 divorces per 1,000 people and marriages are lasting longer – on average 12 years, up from 10 years in 1991.
• More than half of all Australians support equal rights for same-sex couples in relation to marriage and children, an increase of 14% in just over five years. A belief in equality for all extends across the generations, with 42% of Baby Boomers and three in ten older Australians supporting equal rights for same-sex couples.

Contact our Family Solicitors in Aberdeen

If you need help with a family law matter, including advice on cohabitation or living together, contact our specialist solicitors on 01224 370 028 or fill in our enquiry form today.