Nuclearization of Family: Changing Family Structure in Selected South Asian Countries

This study examined long-term shifts in household structures across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal using DHS data over three decades. Household size has declined across all countries, with rapid nuclearization in India and Nepal and persistent joint families in Pakistan. Nuclear families have stagnated in Pakistan and Bangladesh, whereas single-person and childless nuclear households have increased due to adult child migration. The share of households reporting adult children living outside the parental home has risen, suggesting that family ties are being rearranged rather than weakened. Together, these findings challenge the notion of a universal transition toward nuclear families and instead point to the coexistence of nuclearization and enduring intergenerational connections across contemporary South Asia.