A review of recent trends in the family in France is presented. The sources of data on the family are first described. Studies based on these data or on large-scale surveys are then reviewed, and the results of selected studies are summarized. The author suggests that although the nuclear family predominates in urban areas, the extended family remains a key element of the social structure in many rural areas. According to the 1975 census, there were 17.7 million households in France, of which 7.6 million were couples with children, .7 million were single-parent families, 4 million were couples without children at home, and 4 million were single adults.