Households
Household size
About this topic
Household size shows how many people live in each household. It is a basic but important measure of family life, dwelling use, and the way people share housing.
This topic helps indicate demand for different dwelling sizes and can reflect life-cycle patterns, cultural norms, and affordability pressures. It is best read with household type, age structure, and dwelling type, because changes in household size can happen for very different reasons.
Interpretation notes
- This counts the number of people usually resident in the dwelling, so it describes shared living arrangements rather than dwelling size.
- Household size should be read with bedrooms or dwelling structure before drawing conclusions about crowding or housing suitability.
Key insight
In 2021, 2 persons was the most common household size among households in Brisbane (C), accounting for 33.4% (155,420 households). This share was similar to Greater Brisbane (33.5%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which increased by 23,325 households and 1.9 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Brisbane (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Brisbane (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Brisbane and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Brisbane (C), with comparison markers for Greater Brisbane.
1 person
2021 count
119,025
% of total
25.6%
Change from 2016
+1.9pp
119,025
25.6%
+1.9pp
2 persons
2021 count
155,420
% of total
33.4%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
155,420
33.4%
+0.2pp
3 persons
2021 count
77,459
% of total
16.7%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
77,459
16.7%
-0.5pp
4 persons
2021 count
73,747
% of total
15.9%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
73,747
15.9%
-0.5pp
5 persons
2021 count
27,467
% of total
5.9%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
27,467
5.9%
-0.6pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
12,005
% of total
2.6%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
12,005
2.6%
-0.4pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+23,325
+1.9pp
2 persons
+21,115
+0.2pp
3 persons
+8,070
-0.5pp
4 persons
+7,421
-0.5pp
5 persons
+1,106
-0.6pp
6 or more persons
-76
-0.4pp
Data table
Household size for Brisbane (C). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Brisbane.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Brisbane% | Count | % | Greater Brisbane% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 119,025 | 25.6% | 23.6% | 95,700 | 23.7% | 22.0% | +23,325 | +1.9pp |
| 2 persons | 155,420 | 33.4% | 33.5% | 134,305 | 33.2% | 33.3% | +21,115 | +0.2pp |
| 3 persons | 77,459 | 16.7% | 16.7% | 69,389 | 17.2% | 17.2% | +8,070 | -0.5pp |
| 4 persons | 73,747 | 15.9% | 16.0% | 66,326 | 16.4% | 16.6% | +7,421 | -0.5pp |
| 5 persons | 27,467 | 5.9% | 6.5% | 26,361 | 6.5% | 7.1% | +1,106 | -0.6pp |
| 6 or more persons | 12,005 | 2.6% | 3.6% | 12,081 | 3.0% | 3.9% | -76 | -0.4pp |
| Total classifiable households | 465,124 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 404,159 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +60,965 | 0.0pp |