Households in Slovakia in the 1930 census
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | HISTORICKÁ DEMOGRAFIE |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://toolkit.ecn.cz/img_upload/072068ac6406072f5d0a058e2b0b6778/hd49-2-02.pdf |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.21104/HD.2025.2.02 |
| Keywords | households; families; Slovakia; size groups of municipalities; districts; 1930 census |
| Description | The study presents data on the nature of households and families in Slovakia in the interwar period from a source that is unique in the world. In the 1930 census, a survey of kinship ties to the head of the household were included among the content elements, and persons living in the same flat or house and persons belonging to the same household were strictly distinguished. The aim of the article was to provide not only basic methodological data, but also to characterise the fundamental traits of households in Slovakia on the example of selected results. We focused on the size of the household, the type of household, the presence of children, as well as other relations of the families. The data in question were also analysed with regard to the size groups of municipalities, and an effort was also made to identify any spatial differences. The results show that Slovak households in the interwar period were characterised by a strong orientation towards the nuclear family model, with more than 87% of all households made up of only one family. In multi-generational households, the families of the household head dominated together with the families of his or her children, while cohabitation with parents or combined forms was marginal. The average household size was 4.4 persons, with the largest households typical for rural areas and the smallest for large cities. Similarly, the average number of children per household showed significant regional and socio-professional differences – households of the heads working in agriculture and mining had the highest number of children, and the lowest values were recorded among civil servants, the military and the freelance professions. Significant differences were also manifested between regions: the highest average number of children was recorded in the districts of northern and north-eastern Slovakia, while below-average values were seen in southern and urban areas. The article overall reveals significant geographical and social patterns in the formation of households in Slovakia and points to the great importance of the census as a source of data for scholarly research on households and families in the period before the Second World War. |