South Korea passes 10m single-person households

According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety on Wednesday, the country’s registered population stood at 51.2 million as of Dec. 31, 2024, down from 51.8 million in 2020. Although the rate of decline has slowed since its peak in 2022, the overall downward trend remains intact.

Amid the population decline, the number of single-person households continued to grow between 2020 and 2024. While some 9 million single-person households were reported nationwide in 2020, the figure saw a 2.8 percentage point increase in 2024 to 10.1 million.

The growing number of older adults living alone contributed to the rise of one-person households.

According to Statistics Korea’s data from 2024, out of the 5.65 million households with family members aged 65 and above, 2.13 million such members were found to be living alone. In Korea, individuals aged 65 and above are considered senior citizens.

Statistics Korea added that the government has seen a consistent increase in the number of seniors living alone since 2015, with the 2024 figure up 37.8 % from 2023.

The increase in the number of young Koreans delaying marriage and choosing to live alone after university or when obtaining employment has also been pointed to as a factor behind the rise in single-person households.

Traditionally, leaving one’s parents’ home was closely tied to marriage and starting a family. However, this perception has seen a shift in recent years, with many young Koreans in their 20s and 30s viewing moving out as a step toward personal independence rather than marriage preparation, a change that has fueled the rapid growth of one-person households.

However, of the 10 million one-person households, 3.2 million were people in their 20s and 30s living alone, while 3.81 million were those aged 60 and above, according to the Interior Ministry’s data.

“The makeup of single-person households reflects both Korea’s status as a super-aged society and the reluctance of many young people to move out due to the burden of high living costs,” Professor Jung Jae-hoon from Seoul Women’s University’s Department of Social Welfare told The Korea Herald. “As living costs climb and birth rates fall, such household patterns are expected to remain the norm in Korean society.”

With the rise in single-person households, greater attention must be paid to the risks of isolation and declining mental health.

“While living alone can represent independence, it also increases the risk of loneliness, depression and isolation,” he said. “Public health policies need to expand beyond family-centred support systems to include tailored mental health and community programs for solo households, for the elderly and the young.”

Jung added that without stronger mental health and social support networks, the "challenges of solo living could deepen as the trend continues to rise."

Lee Jung-joo

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network