13% of Single-Person Households "Support Family Living Separately"

Most Single-Person Households Supporting Separate Families Are in Their 40s
Support Recipients Are Parents, Children, Spouses in Order
7.9% of Single-Person Households Regularly Care for Separate Families
Single-Person Households in Their 40s Due to Studies and Work, 50s-60s Due to Divorce
Private Support Networks Are Scarcer for Men and Those Divorced

More than one in ten single-person households were found to be supporting family members living separately. This highlights the need for more detailed support for single-person households, which have been primarily regarded as care recipients.

On the 10th, Kim Young-ran, a research fellow at the Women’s Policy Research Institute, presented “Living Conditions and Policy Tasks of Single-Person Households” at the ‘2022 Family Policy Forum’ hosted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. According to Kim’s analysis of the Ministry’s ‘2020 Family Status Survey,’ 13.0% of single-person households reported financially supporting family members living separately. By age group, those in their 40s (33.4%) were the highest, followed by those in their 50s (27.6%) and 30s (15.2%). The main support recipients were parents (6.7%), children (5.7%), and spouses (3.6%). Additionally, 7.9% of single-person households were regularly or long-term caring for family members living separately. The primary care recipients were children (3.6%), parents (3.4%), and spouses (2.6%).

In South Korea, the number of single-person households reached 7.17 million in 2021, accounting for 33.4% of all households. Among those under 40, many single-person households are due to schooling and work, while those in their 50s and 60s often became single-person households due to divorce. The age distribution of single-person households is highest among those aged 70 and above (26.7%), followed by those in their 60s (19.0%) and 50s (15.4%). Marital status is predominantly single (40.2%), widowed (30.1%), and divorced or separated (22.3%). Before becoming single-person households, the people they lived with were mainly spouses (45.7%), parents (37.6%), and children (28.2%).

The most common reason for living alone was schooling or work (24.4%), followed by widowhood (23.4%), desire to live alone (16.2%), and divorce (15.6%). Reasons for living alone also differed by gender. For men, schooling or work (33.7%) was the most common reason, whereas for women, widowhood (36.8%) was more than twice as common as schooling or work (16.1%). Among single-person households, 72.1% expressed an intention to continue living alone in the future. Women (80.3%) were more likely than men (62.8%) to have this intention, and 80% of those aged 60 and above responded affirmatively, while 55.2% of those in their 20s also indicated a willingness to continue as single-person households.

Reasons for Living Alone Based on the 2020 Family Survey by Research Fellow Kim Young-ran of the Women’s Policy Research Institute (Data provided by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family)

Family Support Status of Single-Person Households from Kim Young-ran, Research Fellow at the Women's Policy Research Institute, in 'Living Conditions and Policy Tasks of Single-Person Households Based on the 2020 Family Survey' (Data provided by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family)

Single-person households reported difficulties with balanced meals (42.4%), responding to illness or emergencies (30.9%), and household chores such as meal preparation and home management (25.0%). Additionally, 15.2% of single-person households felt they had no one to comfortably talk to about their problems or worries. Support networks were particularly weak among men, those in their 50s and 60s, and those who were divorced or separated. Research fellow Kim Young-ran pointed out, “Private support networks are relatively lacking for men compared to women and for those who are divorced. Even single-person households sometimes support or care for family members living separately. It is necessary to establish support measures tailored to the policy needs of subgroups within single-person households.”

Research fellow Yoo Jung-kyun from the Gyeonggi Research Institute explained, “Single-person households are often thought of as care recipients or policy beneficiaries, but it is surprising that many respond that they provide economic support to family members living separately. Since those in their 40s bear economic burdens for both parents and children simultaneously, separate support for middle-aged single-person households is also necessary.”

Since this year, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been piloting a social network formation support project for single-person households, providing self-care, psychological support, and life-cycle capacity-building services. Young adults are more proactive in applying for counseling compared to other age groups, with conflicts in relationships with their original families being the main issue. Middle-aged single-person households are less active in applying for services but have many counseling requests related to family relationships and economic difficulties. Older adults actively participate in programs that help build social networks with peers.

Research fellow Cho Sung-eun from the Healthy Family Promotion Institute suggested, “While focusing on family services centered on the care and psychological-emotional needs of single-person households, programs should also be designed to facilitate the participation of single-person households in existing family services. Pilot services addressing gaps in adult self-care are also necessary.”

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