More than eight out of ten children live together with their siblings. These can be full siblings, half siblings or step siblings. Children can also have siblings that they do not live with. These can be older siblings who have moved from home or siblings who live with one of their parents in another family. New statistics from Statistics Sweden provide a better picture of the family situation of children.

Most children live together with their full siblings; this applies to nearly seven out of ten children. But 13 percent of all children, or 248 000 children, live together with their half siblings or step siblings. The occurrence of various types of siblings differs among children in different types of families. It is more common that children who live with one parent and one step parent live with half siblings or step siblings, than among children who live with both their biological parents or adoptive parents. This applies to 60 percent of the children who live with one parent and one step parent, compared to 6 percent of the children who live with both of their biological or adoptive parents.

Most common to live with one sibling

Nearly half of the children live together with one sibling. Living with one sibling is most common among children who live with both of their biological or adoptive parents. Living with two or more siblings is more common among children who live together with one of their parents and a step parent, while children with single parents do not live with any siblings to a greater extent.

New statistics on children

Statistics Sweden has been assigned by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs to further develop statistics on children and their families. The new statistics have now been published in the Statistical Database. The statistics describe children with Swedish and foreign backgrounds, their types of families and siblings, separations and financial situation and housing of families with children.