Households, Reurbanisation and the Rise of Living Alone in the Principal French Cities, 1975-90

The past two decades have seen profound changes in European patterns of demographic behaviour, family formation and household structure. One aspect of the 'second demographic transition' is the appearance of new and more varied household forms, especially in the large cities. Data are analysed here for France's 10 largest cities for the period 1975-90, with particular reference to their central areas. While some continue to experience population decline through out-migration, for most the 1980s saw a reversal of their demographic fortunes, thus adding further evidence to the hypothesis of reurbanisation observed elsewhere. Analysis of household change shows large increases in numbers in most cities, even where overall population is declining. Households are becoming smaller, with up to 75 per cent of households in central cities consisting of 1 or 2 persons. The increase in 1-person households, to which particular attention is paid in this paper, has been rapid. The paper also demonstrates the decline in 'traditional families' in the cities. The rise of living alone is linked to age, gender, social status and ethnicity, with young professionals, especially women, at the cutting edge of household change.