Types of households and families in Paraguay (1982-2017)

Abstract

In Paraguay, socioeconomic modernization and cultural modernity processes have shaped types of familiar households, headship, and size (1982-2017). Latin America and Caribbean types of familiar households reveal stronger marks of modernity such as more (%) extended households. Although, their Paraguayan peers (88,8% in 2017) disclose growing modernity characteristics. Female-headed household doubled, from 9,8% to 20,1%; in 2017, it means 15,8% out of complete nuclear; 83,8% out of incomplete nuclear or lone-parent; and 40,5% extended households. During this time span, complete nuclear households decreased by 2,0 percentage points (pp) but lone-parent households increased by 4,1 pp; and in 2017, they reached 46,1% and 11,3%, respectively; releasing a light crisis of marital or union stability. Nevertheless, complete nuclear household is quantitatively hegemonic and continues as the model. Extended households have increased very lightly, they are 31,4% by 2017; and would reflect restrictions of poverty preventing welcomed household autonomy. Finally, household size has diminished, another modernity feature. Despite domestic fluctuations, by 2017, it denotes 1,3 persons loss at complete nuclear households; 0,94 in extended households; and 0,74 persons loss at lore-parent households.