Nearly one in seven people in the UK could be living alone by 2039, according to government figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The data, which also reveals that those currently living alone are more likely to rent and feel less financially secure than couples without children, highlights a sharp rise in single-person households.
The number of people living alone increased by 16% between 1997 and 2017, reaching 7.7 million. The ONS predicts this figure could climb to 10.7 million in two decades. The rise outpaces overall population growth of 13% and is concentrated in midlife and older age groups: the number of 45- to 64-year-olds living alone has jumped 53%, while the 25–44 age group saw a 16% decline.
Financially, solo dwellers spend an average of 92% of their disposable income compared to 83% for two-adult households. Wellbeing is also affected, with those living alone reporting lower happiness and higher anxiety levels than couples without children.
The increase is partly attributed to the large baby boomer cohort reaching older age, as well as changing relationship patterns, with more people in their 50s and 60s divorced or single than 15 years ago. Among 45- to 64-year-olds living alone, 42% of 55- to 64-year-olds are divorced. Men make up 60% of solo dwellers aged 25–64, though the gender gap narrows with age.
Charities have called for an overhaul of social care. George McNamara, director of policy at Independent Age, said: “It is often presumed that older people have someone who can look after them, but this isn’t always the case. We need an overhaul of the social care system to ensure that older people are not left stranded and without the care they deserve because they live alone.”
