Our research focuses on the change of the characteristics of families in developing (especially sub-Saharan countries) and developed countries (especially European countries) in the last twenty years. The choice of countries depends on the available variables in the different data sets (such as number and structure by age of individuals in the household).

Fausta Ongaro and Silvana Salvini

ABSTRACT - Data refer to IPUMS data base, dedicated to collecting and distributing census data from around the world. The data base currently describe approximately 614 millions persons recorded in 277 censuses taken from 1960 to the present from 82 countries. The data series includes information on a broad range of population characteristics, both at household and individual level: fertility, mortality, occupational structure, education, ethnicity and household composition. These last data are at the core of our contribution.

Micro-data will be used to obtain groups of countries' regions. Methods used to detect similariites and dissimilarities of groups are represented by cluster analysis and other multivariate techniques apt to analyze large data sets and big data.