Think You're Targeting an Independent 20-something? Think again.

More people are living alone, more children are being raised by single parents and more grown-up children are living with their parents than ever before, according to the latest Social Trends report from the Office for National Statistics. The theme of this year’s report is the changing aspects of households, families and children.

What surprised me:

• Almost a third of men and a fifth of women aged between 20 and 34 live at home with their parents.
• The number of people living alone doubled from 6% of the population in 1971 to 12% in 2008.
• Single-parent households nearly tripled from 4 per cent of the total to 11 per cent between 1971 and 2008.
• In 2007 the lowest number of marriages were recorded since 1895.
• Women are more likely to give birth before they turn 25 than get married.