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, 1 person was the most common household size among households in Sydney (C), accounting for 41.1% (40,160 households). This share was higher than Greater Sydney (23.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which increased by 8,302 households and 3.8 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Sydney (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Sydney (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Sydney and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Sydney (C), with comparison markers for Greater Sydney.
1 person
2021 count
40,160
% of total
41.1%
Change from 2016
+3.8pp
40,160
41.1%
+3.8pp
2 persons
2021 count
37,689
% of total
38.6%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
37,689
38.6%
+0.2pp
3 persons
2021 count
11,383
% of total
11.6%
Change from 2016
-1.2pp
11,383
11.6%
-1.2pp
4 persons
2021 count
6,251
% of total
6.4%
Change from 2016
-1.4pp
6,251
6.4%
-1.4pp
5 persons
2021 count
1,580
% of total
1.6%
Change from 2016
-0.7pp
1,580
1.6%
-0.7pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
675
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
-0.7pp
675
0.7%
-0.7pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+8,302
+3.8pp
2 persons
+4,886
+0.2pp
3 persons
+432
-1.2pp
4 persons
-438
-1.4pp
5 persons
-368
-0.7pp
6 or more persons
-502
-0.7pp
Data table
Household size for Sydney (C). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 40,160 | 41.1% | 23.2% | 31,858 | 37.3% | 21.6% | +8,302 | +3.8pp |
| 2 persons | 37,689 | 38.6% | 30.7% | 32,803 | 38.4% | 29.9% | +4,886 | +0.2pp |
| 3 persons | 11,383 | 11.6% | 17.2% | 10,951 | 12.8% | 17.6% | +432 | -1.2pp |
| 4 persons | 6,251 | 6.4% | 17.3% | 6,689 | 7.8% | 18.1% | -438 | -1.4pp |
| 5 persons | 1,580 | 1.6% | 7.3% | 1,948 | 2.3% | 8.0% | -368 | -0.7pp |
| 6 or more persons | 675 | 0.7% | 4.2% | 1,177 | 1.4% | 4.7% | -502 | -0.7pp |
| Total classifiable households | 97,743 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 85,423 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +12,320 | 0.0pp |