On December 8, 1989, the 44th session of the UN general assembly adopted a resolution, declared 1994 the international year of the family, 1993 in New York the special meeting every year since 1994 on May 15, as the international day of families, in order to improve the governments decision and the public understanding of family problems, promote family harmony, happiness and progress.

The family is the "basic cell of the society". Since the 1980 s, the family number increase, at present has reached 1.03 billion; Family size is smaller; The divorce rate rise generally, every 2 to get married in the United States is 1 to divorce, one-third of all marriages end in divorce in Western Europe; Population aging problem is increasingly serious, the world's 65 people over age 65, the European people over the age of 60 have accounted for one 5 of the population; People's attitudes are changing, too. These family problems bring great impact to the society, is becoming more and more attention by the international community.

1989年12月8日，第44届联合国大会通过一项决议，宣布1994年为国际家庭年，1993年纽约特别会议提出从1994年起每年5月15日定为国际家庭日，以此提高各国政府决定和公众对于家庭问题的认识，促进家庭的和睦、幸福和进步。

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家庭是社会的“基本细胞”。20世纪80年代以来，全世界家庭数目急增，目前已达10.3亿个;家庭规模日趋缩小;离婚率普遍上升，美国每2对结婚者中有1对婚变，西欧有三分之一的婚姻以离婚告终;人口老化问题日益严重，全世界65岁以上老人已达3.5亿，欧洲60岁以上的老人已占总人口的五分之一;人们的家庭观念也在发生变化。这些家庭问题给社会带来巨大冲击，日益为国际社会所关注。