Australian households may be getting bigger

Research by CommSec shows that Australian households are getting bigger - reports that contradict earlier projections from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

According to the study, dwellings now accommodate an average of 2.66 people, flying in the face of ABS predictions which saw 2011 housing density to be around 2.4 to 2.5.

The findings may be a result of shifting demographics that see children living with parents for longer, or an increase in the number of shared housing arrangements.

Pressures from increases in the basic costs of living - such as rising energy bills and price hikes in fresh fruit and vegetables - could be influencing these behaviours.

These economic factors could lead to an increase in the practice of sub-letting - a topic that can provoke anxiety amongst property owners.

Experts with property management training may be interested to know that this trend could be set to continue as Australians have a history of building rather large houses - meaning that home owners may have plenty of space to share.

ABS statistics put the average floor area of new homes in Australia at 214.1 sq m, contrasting with the UK mean measure of 76 sq m.