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Chart of the Day: Family Size is Shrinking

Line chart illustrating the decline in average family size from 3.3 in 1960 to 2.5 today. Decrease began in 1965 with the enactment of the Social Security Act. Recent decreases, although stabilizing, are attributed to families having fewer children.

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Today's chart, sourced from Apollo and the Census Bureau data, illustrates a decline in the average family size from 3.3 members per household in 1960 to 2.5 in 2023. The trend began in 1965, with many attributing it to the enactment of the Social Security Act as part of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" program, which expanded benefits enabling older parents to live independently from their adult children. While the decline is stabilizing, recent decreases are primarily attributed to families having fewer children.