Trends in Single-person Households

Why are single-person homes on the rise?

Wealth and education

Rising incomes and better education are enabling more household heads to live by themselves.

Therefore, advanced economies tend to have the largest single-person home markets, as there is no cultural or economic pressure to have kids or rely on family members to survive.

Millennials

The surge in technology, cheap travel, and general entertainment means that Millennials have more choice in how they spend their free time than their parents ever did.

The gradual erosion of social welfare means that there are fewer incentives to start a family or marry than ever before.

Seniors

Household heads aged 65+ are the largest and fastest-growing cohort by age globally.

As life expectancy rises and the number of elderly people swells, there is a growing number of widowed, divorced or otherwise single homes populated by persons aged 65+.

Low-income workers

Many low-income workers from emerging markets migrate to urban areas or foreign countries, in order to find better paid work.

They do this typically by themselves, leaving their family behind to accept remittances. This creates a large cohort of singleton workers.

Fewer children

Households in general are having fewer children and many are choosing to forego parenting altogether, due to personal or financial reasons.

Couples without children are often happy to live separately, particularly in urban areas. Communal living is no longer a prerequisite.

Divorces

Divorces are on the rise worldwide, due to shifts in gender equality and easier administrative processes.

Separated couples and families are thus creating more singleton households, even if on a temporary basis.