OECD Family database

Bookmark this page: www.oecd.org/els/social/family/database

Following up on the OECD Babies and Bosses reviews on the reconciliation of work and family life in selected Member States, and in view of the strong demand for cross-national indicators on the situation of families and children, the OECD has developed an on-line database on family outcomes and family policies with indicators for all OECD countries.

The database brings together information from different OECD databases (for example, the OECD Social Expenditure database, the OECD Benefits and Wages database, or the OECD Education database, and databases maintained by other (international) organisations.

Development of the Family database is an ongoing process and release or updating of indicators is not linked to any particular point in time. Not all indicators can already be presented on cross-national basis. The first batch of indicators was released by the end of 2006, but work is ongoing on the preparation of new indicators for release throughout 2007. We also intend to update existing indicators on OECD Education database a regular basis.

An indicator under one of these headings in the database typically presents the data on a particular issue as well as relevant definitions and methodology, comparability and data issues, information on sources and, where relevant, include the raw data or descriptive information across countries.

Information in the Family database is categorised under 4 broad headings (version June 2007, 16 indicators available - click here if you would like to be informed when the database is updated and extended):

1. The structure of families

• Families and Children
  • SF1 Family size and composition
  • SF2 Children in families
  • SF3 Further information on living arrangements of children
• Fertility indicators
  • SF4 Fertility rates
  • SF5 Mean age of mother at first childbirth
  • SF6 Share of births outside marriage and teenage births
  • SF7 Childlessness
• Marital and partnership status
  • SF8 Marriage and divorce rate
  • SF9 Cohabitation rate and prevalence of other forms of partnership

2. The labour market position of families

• Families, children and employment status    
  • LMF1 Children in families by employment status
  • LMF2 Maternal employment
  • LMF3 Maternal employment by family status
  • LMF4 Employment profiles over the life-course
• Cross-cohort comparisons of employment rates by 5-year age groups by gender
  • LMF5 Gender pay gaps for full-time workers and earnings by educational attainment
  • LMF6 Gender differences in employment outcomes
• Workplace hours and time for caring
  • LMF7 Usual weekly working hours among men and women by broad hours groups
  • LMF8 The distribution of working hours among couple families and adults in couple families individually, by broad hours groups, presence of children, and age of youngest child
  • LMF9 The distribution of working hours among single persons by broad hours groups, presence of children, and age of youngest child
  • LMF10 Family- friendly workplace practices
  • LMF11 Time spent travelling to and from work
  • LMF12 Time used for work, care and daily household chores

3. Public policies for families and children

• General tax/benefit support for families with children
  • PF1 Public spending on family benefits   (.pdf)   (.xls)
  • PF2 Public spending on education    (.pdf)  (.xls)
  • PF3 Family benefits
  • PF4 Gender-neutrality of tax/benefits systems (.pdf) (.xls)
  • PF5 Child Support (maintenance) Systems
  • PF6 Parenting support
• Child-related leave
  • PF7 Key characteristics of parental leave systems
  • PF8 Take-up of leave benefits, by mothers and fathers
  • PF9 Additional leave entitlements of working parents
• Formal care and education for very young children  
  • PF10 Public spending on childcare and early education  (.pdf)  (.xls)
  • PF11 Enrolment in day-care and pre-schools     (.pdf)  (.xls)
  • PF12 Childcare support
• Typology of childcare benefits and net parental fees by family type and income level
  • PF13 Typology of childcare and early education services
  • PF14 Quality of childcare and early education services
  • PF15 Out-of-school-hours care 

4. Child outcomes

• Child health
  • CO1 Infant mortality
  • CO2a: Low birth-weight
  • CO2b: Vaccination rates
  • CO3: Breastfeeding rates
  • CO4 Disease-based indicators: Prevalence of diabetes and asthma among children
  • CO5 Obesity among children aged 10 (and child height for children aged 10)
  • CO6 Regular smokers among 15 year olds, by gender
• Child poverty
  • CO7 Trends in the income position of different household types
  • CO8 Child poverty
• Education/literacy   
  • CO9 Educational attainment by gender and average years spent in formal education
  • CO10 Gender differences in university graduates by fields of study
  • CO11 Literacy scores, age 9
  • CO12 Literacy scores by gender at age 15
  • CO13 Young people not in education or employment
• Societal participation
  • CO14 Participation in voluntary work and membership of NGOs for young adults, 15-29
  • CO15 Participation rates of first-time voters
  • CO16 Teenage incarceration rates
  • CO17 Substance abuse by young people
  • CO18 Teenage suicides

The structure of the Family database does not include indicators that cover issues related to the position (and care needs) of elderly family members (see pension or health or long-term care webpages).

Click here for information on OECD work on Family policies.