We used the 2001 and 2011 population census data of South Africa to examine race differences in changes in family structure, household resources and household composition over the 10-year period. We found noticeable changes in all the indicators of family structure for all race groups, although black African and coloured households remained the largest, while white and Asian households remained the smallest. While racial differences in family structure, household composition and resources are changing, there are still persistent differences between black Africans and coloureds on one hand, and Indian/Asians and whites on the other in terms of the traditional patterns of extended and nuclear family living.