ABSTRACT

This chapter uses 2001 and 2011 Census data for England and Wales to explore how family formations at local authority district level have been reproduced and/or transformed during the 2000s. Using six variables drawn from an earlier study of geographies of family formations, the chapter shows that regional patterns have become more entrenched, and divisions within England and Wales would appear to have become more intense. It is argued that some local authorities have seemingly joined ‘regional clubs’ of traditionality and non-traditionality, with the effects of urban-rural, coastal and university towns being a key factor in the differentials of family formations. These spatial differences will have major bearings on diverse demands for social welfare and public policy in England and Wales.