Single-Person Households Surpass 40% for the First Time... 9,367,439 Households

The Proportion of 1-2 Person Households Nears 64%, Up 1.3 Percentage Points from Last Year-End
Total Population at 51,667,688, Declining for Three Consecutive Quarters This Year

Quarterly Changes in Household Member Proportion

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Single-person households have surpassed 40% for the first time in history.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 6th, the total number of registered households nationwide reached a record high of 23,383,689 households, of which single-person households accounted for 40.1%, totaling 9,367,439 households. Two-person households accounted for 23.8%, households with four or more members accounted for 19.0%, and three-person households accounted for 17.1%.

The combined proportion of one- and two-person households was 63.9%, an increase of 1.3 percentage points compared to the end of 2020. Households with four or more members decreased significantly by more than 6 percentage points for the first time in five years since 2016. The average household size was surveyed to be 2.21 persons.

The registered population was 51,667,688, a decrease of 4,712 people (0.01%) compared to the end of June, continuing the population decline in the third quarter following the first and second quarters.

The number of births in the third quarter increased by 307 compared to the second quarter, and the rate of population decline due to natural factors per quarter is showing a decreasing trend. By age group, the proportion of people in their 50s remained the highest, but compared to the end of 2020, the proportion of all age groups under 50 decreased, while the proportions of those in their 60s and those aged 70 and above increased by 0.7 percentage points and 0.2 percentage points, respectively.

Deputy Minister Ko Gyu-chang stated, “The trend of increasing single-person households is expected to continue,” adding, “The lifestyle of single-person households is anticipated to influence various aspects of society, economy, and culture, so policy design tailored to this is necessary.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.