38 Seoul Administrative Districts Where Single-Person Households Exceed Half... Over 8 Out of 10 People "Satisfied Living Alone"

Completed Survey on 3,000 Single-Person Households in Seoul Last Year
High Life Satisfaction as Single-Person Households, but Difficulties in Emergency Response
Monthly Income Increased by 120,000 KRW Compared to 2017... Living Expenses Increased 2.7 Times

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The number of administrative districts in Seoul where single-person households account for more than half has reached 38, and more than 8 out of 10 people are satisfied with living alone. Additionally, one in three people expressed a desire to continue living alone as they do now, and among them, one in four anticipated living as a single-person household for life.

On the 10th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted a face-to-face survey (500 questions across 10 areas) targeting 3,079 single-person households residing in Seoul to understand the current status and policy demands of single-person households and use the data as a basis for discovering customized policies. In 2020, the number of single-person households in Seoul was 1.39 million out of a total of 3.98 million households, accounting for 34.9%.

Analysis of areas with a high concentration of single-person households showed that the number of administrative districts where the proportion of single-person households exceeds the Seoul average (34.9%) totaled 168 districts (average 39.5%), and 38 districts (8.9%) had a single-person household ratio of more than half.

In particular, 86.2% of single-person households in Seoul reported being "satisfied with living alone," 36.8% said they "wanted to continue living alone as they do now," and among them, 23.6% responded that they "would live as a single-person household for life." The main advantages of living alone were freedom in lifestyle and decision-making (36.9%), utilization of leisure time alone (31.1%), and immersion in work or studies (9.6%).

This survey was conducted for the second time in 2021 following the first survey in 2017. Regarding the causes of becoming a single-person household, "bereavement, divorce, or separation" increased from 20.9% in 2017 to 28.3% in 2021. Discrimination, neglect, and prejudice against single-person households improved significantly, dropping from 53.0% in 2017 to 15.8% in 2021. While the average monthly income of single-person households increased by 120,000 KRW compared to the 2017 survey, the average monthly living expenses rose by 430,000 KRW (2.7 times), resulting in a decrease in real income.

85.7% of single-person households reported "feeling inconvenienced while living alone," with the most difficult or challenging issue being "difficulty coping when sick or in an emergency" (35.9%). Compared to the first single-person household survey in 2017, economic anxiety (ranked first at 31%) has significantly decreased, while difficulties in handling emergencies and meal preparation have greatly increased. Additionally, 76.1% of single-person households responded that they "experienced psychological difficulties while living alone," with the main reasons being "loneliness of living alone" (20.2%), "boredom due to having a lot of free time" (15.0%), and "a sense of solitude as if left alone" (14.5%).

More than half of single-person households reported difficulties with household chores such as meal preparation (55.1%) and cleaning/laundry (52.7%), and among convenience services, there was a high willingness to use meal-related services (72.4%). In terms of leisure activities, they hoped for "tourism (21.0%), exercise (17.8%), and cultural arts or sports viewing (12.6%)," but actual leisure activities were dominated by "watching videos (47.6%)."

Regarding housing, 7 out of 10 single-person households experienced "a shortage of housing listings (35.6%)" and "difficulty securing housing costs (35.5%)," and 54.1% responded that they "bear a housing cost burden." Among tenant households, 30.9% were found to spend more than 20-30% of their monthly income on housing costs.

Single-person households remain vulnerable compared to multi-person households in terms of economy, safety, and health. The average monthly income of single-person households in Seoul was 2.19 million KRW, which is 860,000 KRW less than the equalized average monthly income of multi-person households at 3.05 million KRW, with 69.3% falling below 100% of the median income. Single-person households had a higher fear of victimization from all crimes (13-15%) compared to multi-person households, and the rate of violent crime victimization was 1.5%, about three times higher than the national crime victimization rate of 0.57%. Places perceived as risky for crime included the way home (25.5%), neglected spaces (21.0%), and outdoor areas around residences (17.1%), with respondents mainly feeling fear of crime in outdoor spaces.

The city also conducted an in-depth survey on the housing conditions of middle-aged single-person households, who have been in a blind spot until now. Based on the 2020 Population and Housing Census data and preliminary in-depth interviews, five areas were selected: two middle-aged concentrated areas, two mixed youth and middle-aged areas, and one comparison group area, where household and building surveys and nearby living facility investigations were conducted.

Lee Hae-seon, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Special Task Force for Single-Person Households, said, "Regarding the '4 Major Safety Policies' for single-person households currently being implemented in Seoul, we will do our best to reflect the results of this survey to discover and implement life-centered customized policies."

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