3 Out of 10 Households in Gwangju Are Single-Person... Single-Person Households Account for 35.5%

Largest Share in Their 20s... Trend Expanding to Middle-Aged and Elderly
Monthly Rentals at 46%... Contradicts Common Belief About Small Homes
Need for Tailored Policies by Life Stage and Social Group

It has been found that 3 out of every 10 households in Gwangju are single-person households. While the proportion of young people is high, this trend is spreading across all generations, including middle-aged and elderly groups.

According to the Gwangju Women and Family Foundation on October 5, 2025, as of 2022, there were 221,464 single-person households in Gwangju, accounting for 35.5% of all households.

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By age group, those in their 20s made up the largest share with 45,682 households, followed by those in their 30s with 38,503 households, 40s with 31,196 households, 50s with 34,399 households, 60s with 33,815 households, 70s with 21,532 households, and those aged 80 and above with 14,529 households. The youth segment had the highest proportion.

In terms of housing type, apartments were the most common at 50%, followed by detached houses at 38.2%, and non-residential dwellings at 7.2%. Regarding occupancy type, monthly rentals accounted for the largest share at 46.3%, followed by owner-occupied homes at 35.7%, and jeonse (lump-sum deposit lease) at 12%.

By number of rooms, four-room homes were the most prevalent with 73,285 households, followed by three-room homes with 55,648 households, one-room homes with 35,327 households, and two-room homes with 29,688 households. This result contradicts the common belief that single-person households mainly reside in small-sized homes.

The main reasons for living alone were work at 31.5%, independent living at 28.8%, and bereavement at 13.2%. Among young people, work (46%) and independent living (30.5%) were the most common reasons, while among the middle-aged, independent living (35.2%) and work (32%) were most common. For the elderly, bereavement was the leading reason at 43.3%.

Regarding the duration of living alone, 19.2% had lived alone for 5 to 10 years, 14.1% for 3 to 5 years, and 14% for 10 to 15 years. By place of origin, 86,244 households were originally from Jeonnam, the highest number, while 70,000 households were originally from Gwangju. Most single-person households either moved out from Gwangju or migrated from Jeonnam.

In terms of education level, 31.8% were college graduates and 30.1% were high school graduates. Among men, 37.2% had graduated from college, higher than the 26.5% of women. Regarding marital status, men were mostly unmarried (62.4%), divorced (16.1%), and widowed (6%), while women were mostly unmarried (41.8%) and widowed (31.1%).

Park Juhui, a research fellow at the Gwangju Women and Family Foundation, stated, "Single-person households are not a temporary phenomenon limited to youth or old age, but rather appear in diverse ways throughout the life cycle," adding, "It is necessary to implement support policies tailored to youth, middle-aged, and elderly groups, as well as to consider policies that address the specific needs of people with disabilities, self-reliant youth, and other groups."