The number of single-person households in South Korea is set to peak in 2041, according to Statistics Korea, a government body. Statistics Korea revised its projection from 2039 to 2041 after considering the rapid rise in single-person households, especially among the elderly.
Despite the country’s record low birthrate, the number of households is growing faster than expected. By 2052, single-person households are expected to account for 41.3% of all households, a demographic shift that is likely to impact consumer behavior and the composition of Korea’s industry.
Statistics Korea released its latest future households estimates report for 2022 to 2052 on Sept. 12. Until 2022, the government body provided household projections every five years, but starting this year, the cycle has been shortened to every two to three years for more timely updates.
According to the new forecasts, the total number of households nationwide is expected to peak at 24.37 million in 2041, up from 22.18 million in 2022, before declining. This is a revision from the earlier projection made in 2020, which estimated the peak at 23.87 million households by 2039.
While Korea’s population began declining in 2020, the number of households will continue growing for a few more years, longer than previously anticipated, due to the transition from the traditional multi-person family structure to one-person households.
Two years ago, Statistics Korea predicted 7.18 million single-person households by 2022, but the latest data reveals that the actual number reached 7.37 million, around 200,000 more than initially forecasted.
This trend is set to accelerate. Previous estimates show that 39.6% of all households would be single-person households by 2050, but the latest forecasts have revised this figure to 40.1% by 2037, reaching 41.2% in 2050 and 41.3% by 2052. The average household size is also expected to shrink, dropping from 2.26 people per household in 2022 to 1.81 by 2052.
Those aged 65 and older are driving the rise of single-person households. According to the projections, single-person households in this age group are expected to increase from 1.93 million in 2022 to 4.96 million by 2052, a 2.58-fold increase over 30 years. An aging population and longer life expectancy are behind this shift.
“The number of elderly people living separately from their families has been steadily increasing, and many elderly individuals who moved out of group facilities like nursing homes during the pandemic have chosen to live independently, further boosting the number of single-person households,” said a Statistics Korea official.
As a result, the proportion of single-person households led by those aged 65 and older is expected to rise from 26% in 2022 to 30.6% by 2027 and exceed 40% by 2037. By 2049, more than half of all single-person households will be led by seniors.
Meanwhile, Statistics Korea predicts a significant rise in the number of one-person households led by single women, particularly those who have never been married. This reflects an increasing trend of unmarried women choosing to live alone. The proportion of unmarried women heading single-person households among all female household heads is projected to rise from 26% in 2022 to over 30% for the first time by 2043 (30.1%) and further to 32.5% by 2052.
“Single-person households tend to consume more necessities, durable goods like furniture and appliances, and since they have no one to share household responsibilities with, demand for household services is high,” said Choi Chul, a Sookmyung Women’s University professor. “As the number of elderly single-person households increases, the demand for part-time jobs and healthcare services will continue to grow.”
