Forget 2.4, it's now 1.6 kids

For 70 years "2.4 children" has been the swift and handy shorthand to sum up the average UK family.

But a major new study reveals a dramatic shift in the way we live, dispelling the myth of the "typical" British nuclear unit.

Instead of 2.4 children, the average family now has a significantly reduced 1.6. Meanwhile, our houses have leapt in value to an average £161,665 and the typical family income is £24,793.

Most of us also appear to be leading generally healthy and happy lives, with 94 per cent drinking within the recommended safe alcohol limit, 27 per cent never having had a takeaway meal and only five per cent feeling they are underpaid and overworked.

We are also spending more time than ever in front of the computer or TV. Nearly half of us spend the equivalent of more than 10 weeks a year glued to the box, while the typical family spends more than 11 hours on the internet every month.

Conducted by psychologist Dr Chris Steele, the survey involved more than 2,000 families across the country. With questions covering everything from careers to homes, sleeping patterns to spending habits, it also found five radically new breeds of family that better fit 21st century Britain.

There are the Techies, who love all things hi-tech, and the TV-and-takeawayloving Easys. The Fit And Fun Lovers work out and eat only the freshest food - like Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, who reportedly eat only macrobiotic meals and will presumably ensure their new baby does the same.

The Good Intenders live healthily too - but only in the countryside. The wealthiest are the Selfers, who spend their cash on designer cars, exotic holidays and lavish homes.

"The research proves that although there is no such thing as a typical family in modern-day society, there are fascinating groupings that most of us fit into," said Dr Steele.

A spokeswoman for Epson, which commissioned the research, said: "We wanted to undertake this study to dispel the myth of the 2.4-children family, which dates back to the 1930s. There is no such thing as typical nowadays but most of us do fit, broadly speaking, into one of the five new categories."