Approximately 202 million private households are recorded in the European Union, according to the most recent Eurostat data for 2024. Of these, only 23.6% host children, a fact that highlights the low proportion of families with minor members in the EU.
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Eurostat: Where the highest rates of households with children were recorded
According to Eurostat, the highest rates of households with children were recorded in Slovakia (35.6%), Ireland (31.0%) and Cyprus (28.6%). Conversely, the lowest rates were recorded in Finland (18.0%), Lithuania (19.6%) and Germany (20.1%). Greece recorded a rate of 26%, above the European average.
Nearly half (49.8%) of households with children in the EU have only one child. In 37.6% of households, two children live, and in 12.6%, three or more children live. Households with one child were the most common in all EU countries, except for the Netherlands, where the percentage of households with two children is higher.
Households with three or more children were the fewest in all EU countries. Their percentage among all households with children ranged from 20.6% in Ireland, 18.1% in Sweden and 17.4% in Finland, to 6.2% in Portugal, 6.4% in Bulgaria and 7.6% in Italy.
