This preliminary study examines changes in household headship in Fiji during the colonial period and the postcolonial period of 1966 and 1986. Data were obtained from individual-level census data. Modernization is expected to affect family structure, as reflected in headship rates. Few of the development projects in Fiji have addressed the role of the family in influencing changes in behaviors and attitudes. The breakdown of traditional authority and kin-based exchange patterns is assumed to be an inevitable consequence of economic change combined with higher levels of education and increased rural-urban migration. Findings indicate that married men and men aged 50-60 years have remained the most likely age group to be household heads in 1966 and 1986. The likelihood of headship among younger ages declined in 1966 and 1986. The likelihood of female headship shifted from women aged 40-49 years in 1966 to women aged 50-59 years in 1986. Urban residence increased the likelihood of male headship by 15% and female headship by 5% in 1986. Fijians and Rotumans were less likely to be household heads compared to Indians in both years. Widowed women were 21 times more likely to be household heads in 1986; 12 times, in 1966. Divorced women were 9 times more likely to be household heads in 1986; 6 times, in 1966. Headship rates among never-married women remained stable with only a 4 percentage point increase between 1966 and 1986. Education positively affected headship rates for men and women. Employment positively affected headship rates for men and women, but the effect declined across time. The net effects of migration declined across time. Trends suggest a strong communal tradition consistent with the Fiji patriarchal system. It is likely that the declines in headship among the young are due to economic downturns. Rotumans are the ethnic group most affected by modernization.