Meanwhile, the nature of the basic consuming unit – the household – is also changing rapidly. In most developed countries, the traditional nuclear family is in severe decline and is being replaced by single-individual households.
与此同时，基本消费单位——家庭——的特性也在迅速改变。在发达国家，传统的核心家庭（只包括父母和儿女的家庭）数量不断减少，取而代之是单人家庭。例如在德国，39%的家庭只有一名成员。有孩家庭仅仅分别占到了英国和美国家庭总量的19%和22%。