The economic crisis is governing the formation and development of African family entities. The age of first intercourse is decreasing, while the age of first marriage is increasing. The numbers of single mothers, induced abortions resulting in deaths and disabilities, are increasing. New types of marital unions are developing, such as cohabiting couples and companion relationships. Children are staying far from their parent families for education and employment.
Spouses stay in different locations in response to employment opportunities.
The AIDS epidemic is mainly affecting economically active men and women and has increased the number of orphans, widows and widowers at an exponential rate. These strains have created crisis in the African family. Demographic analyses carried out in the 1940s and 1950s of the traditional African family revealed it's distinguishing features including polygyny and the large difference in age between the spouses, extended family systems and closely knit kinship groups. Over several decades these features have changed and there has been a shift from the traditional African family. The traditional family has been fragmented under the pressure of social and economic transformation, including increasing urbanisation and a lesser dependency on subsistence agriculture.