In Portugal, the average size of households has decreased significantly over the last 50 years, namely from 3.8 persons per household in 1960, to 2.6 persons in 2011.
Living as a couple (with or without children) remains the predominant form of family organization (62% of households in 1960 and 59% in 2011). Over the last 50 years, we have seen an increase of couples without children (from 15% in 1960 to 24% in 2011), of lone parents nucleus (from 6% in 1960 to 9% in 2011) and of the number of persons living alone (from 12% in 1960 to 20% in 2011) and the decrease of complex households (from 15% in 1960 to 9% in 2011).