Turkey has nearly 20m households, average size 3.7 persons

The number of households in Turkey is 19,842,850 and average size of households is 3.7 persons, according to family statistics of Turkish Statistical Institution (TurkStat). TurkStat started to issue special publications or news releases in 2012 for special days and occasions. For this reason, these statistics have been prepared for the Family Week on May 13-19. Due to analysis for the average sizes of households of provinces, the province with the highest average size of households is in Sirnak with 7.9 persons in 2012, and the lowest in Canakkale with 2.8 persons. Hakkari with 7.4 persons, Mus with 6.6, Siirt with 6.5 and Van with 6.4 follow the province of Sirnak.   Balikesir and Eskisehir with 2.9 persons, and Burdur and Mugla with 3 persons follow the province of Canakkale. In 2011, 7.9 percent of households are lone person households, 7.8 percent of households are one parent households, 55.1 percent of households are couple families with dependent children, 14.9 percent of households are couple families with no children, and 14.4 percent of households are large families which are included in three generations. When the lone person households are analyzed, 49.3 percent of lone person households are persons at 65 years of age and over. 58.5 percent of female lone person households are women at 65 years of age and over, and this percentage is 32 percent for males. Mean age at first marriage increases by years Number of couples who were married in 2012 was 603,751. While mean age at first marriage of males was 25.5 in 2001, it increased to 26.7 in 2012. While mean age at first marriage of females was 22.2 in 2001, it increased to 23.5 in 2012. In 2011, it is seen that 41 percent of couples met each other at their first marriages from the environment of family and relatives, 39.6 percent of couples met from the environment of their neighbours. 7.4 percent of couples met from their environment of friends, 5.3 percent of couples met each other in their work places, 3.5 percent of couples met in their school and other educational environment and 0.1 percent of couples met online. Number of couples who got divorced in 2012 was 123,325. For males, the second important reason for divorce is disrespectful behaviours of their spouses against their families (10 percent), as for females it is violence (20.8 percent). The proportion of couples married both with official and religious wedding is 93.7 percent As the proportion of couples married both with official and religious wedding in their first marriage is 93.7 percent, the proportion of only official wedding is 3.3 percent and only religious wedding is 3 percent. When the types of weddings are examined with respect to regions, it is seen that the region with the highest proportion of spouses not having official wedding ceremony but only religious marriage is Southeast Anatolian Region (8.3 percent) as the region with the lowest proportion of spouses married only with religious marriage is West Marmara Region (0.9 percent). Women has a say in family related issues In 2011, as males have a little more say than females in issues such as house selection (male 75.9 percent; female 73.4 percent) and holiday and entertainment (male 79.8 percent; female 75.8 percent), females have authority in issues such as housework (male 47.4 percent; female 89.1 percent), issues related to children (male 69.4 percent; female 85.6 percent), shopping (male 70 percent; female 82 percent), relations with relatives (male 77 percent; female 83 percent), relations with neighbours (male 71.1 percent; female 85.5 percent). The participation and effect of children in family decisions is pretty high compared to elderly persons in the household. It is seen that in 2011 housework (cooking, ironing, laundry, washing dishes, simple sewing, tea service in the evening, table setting and cleaning, house cleaning and daily shopping) at home is done by mothers/females in proportions ranging between 88 percent and 95 percent. In carrying out these works, daughters’ contribution is also seen by proportions between 11-19 percent. It is seen that fathers/males undertake payments of monthly bills and small maintenance and repairs, sons have less contribution to the housework. 15.2 percent of households with two adults and two children live under the poverty line. 10.5 percent of one person households and 34.1 percent of households with one parent and at least one child live under the poverty line. The poverty ratio of households with dependent children is approximately 3.3 times higher than that of households without dependent children. The poverty rate of people aged 65 and over living by themselves is 14.9 percent. The proportion of households meet their needs "very difficult" is 12.1 percent In 2012, the proportion of households stating that their household income meets their household needs "very difficult" is 12.1 percent, stating as "difficult" is 31.9 percent and the proportion of households stating that their household income meets their household needs "neither difficult, nor easily" is 40.1 percent. On the other hand, the proportion of households stating that their household income meets their household needs "easily" is 14.3 percent as the proportion of households stating "very easily" is 1.7 percent. The proportion of households with the size of households of 7 and over persons stating that their household income meets their household needs "very difficult" is 60 percent. 39.3 percent of households with the size of households of 1-2 persons, 59.9 percent of households with the size of households of 7 and over persons declared that their household income meets their household needs "very difficult" and "difficult". 41.9 percent of households with the size of households of 3-4 persons, 52 percent of households with the size of households of 7 and over persons declared that their household income meets their household needs "very difficult" and "difficult". The expenditures on food had the highest share in total consumption The expenditures on food, non-alcoholic beverages and cigarettes and tobacco had the highest share in total consumption (26.7 percent), at least 1.2 percent with education in 2011. The share of expenditures on transportation and communications was 19.5 percent, while 18.8 percent housing and rent. The household mostly coming together at dinner The ratio of household members often coming together at diner was 80.8 percent, sometimes coming together was 16.9 percent and never coming together was 2.4 percent in 2011. The ratio of household members often coming together at breakfast was 64.6 percent, sometimes coming together was 28,8 percent and never coming together was 6.5 percent. The ratio of household members often coming together at weekends was 79.3 percent. 30.9 percent of the elderly persons in the household were happy to live with their children. 22.7 percent of the elders in the household lived together with their children for supporting each other, 13.7 percent of the elders in the household lived together with their children for requiring customs and traditions. Married people were happier than unmarried people While 63.9 percent of married people were happy, this ratio was 52.9 percent for unmarried people in 2012. The ratio of expressing that mostly their families make individuals happy was 69.6 percent in 2012. The ratio of expressing that mostly their children make individuals happy was 13.9 percent and also the ratio of expressing that mostly their spouses make individuals happy was 7 percent.