The goal of this study was to describe the main types of resident families in Portugal, based on a socioeconomic
approach which focuses on the head of the family and uses the final results of the 2001 Census .
The basic variables analysed were economic activity and inactivity, particularly with respect to the employment
and unemployment of the heads of families.

key words: private household, economic activity, inactivity, employment, unemployment, average size of private household