Households in the UK had 2.36 people on average in 2025, compared with 2.42 in 1996
Average number of people per household, and the number of households, UK, 1996 to 2025.
Latest figures
| Series | Period | Value |
|---|---|---|
| People per household | 2025 | 2.36 |
| Households | 2025 | 29.00m |
Notes
- A household is one person living alone, or a group of people living at the same address who share cooking facilities and a living room or dining area.
- When homes are hard to find or afford, fewer new households form: young adults stay with parents or share, so households stay larger than they otherwise would. Household size is also shaped by things unrelated to housing, such as an ageing population (more people living alone) and the number of children.
- Figures come from the Labour Force Survey and are estimates with a margin of error; recent years are less certain because the survey's response rate has fallen. They cover private households, not care homes or student halls.
Sources
More on housing
- England had 439 homes for every 1,000 people on 31 March 2025, and added 208,600 homes in 2024-25
- Homes per 1,000 people ranged from 422 in London to 465 in the North East on 31 March 2025
- Private rents in the UK rose 3.8% in the 12 months to August 2026, and the average rent was £1,400 a month
- 135,580 homeless families and single people in England were living in temporary accommodation at the end of March 2026, with 177,530 children