The study of families in Paris has up to now been restricted by statistical data which made it difficult to get a full picture of stepfamilies. These forms of cohabitation have come about as a result of the increase in divorce and separation. This 8-page note, which is based on the results of the 2011 nationwide survey “Families and Housing”, makes these facts accessible in the Parisian context: the significant number of stepfamilies, their size and the age of the children, the relationship between the children and the parent not living with them, socio-demographic characteristics and housing conditions.
It shows that in Paris 32,000 children under 25, i.e. 7% of Parisian children, live in a stepfamily. This is a lower proportion than in the rest of the Ile-de-France and in the provinces. On the other hand, the number of children living in a single parent household (25%) is very much higher in the capital. In stepfamilies as in single parent households the majority of children live with their mothers. The parents in these two family structures are less qualified and more liable to be unemployed. There are more stepfamilies in social housing in Paris than in the rest of France. Apart from being of interest to sociologists, this new information could be used to improve some services and facilities offered to families.
Study undertaken in partnership with Insee Ile-de-France.
