It was found that 1 in 5 people aged 40 to 59 living in Seoul are unmarried. The proportion of unmarried men was higher than that of women, and among unmarried middle-aged individuals, 80.5% were living alone, which represents an increase of about 19 percentage points compared to ten years ago.
On May 7, the Seoul Metropolitan Government released a report titled "The Lives of Middle-aged Singles in Seoul," analyzing data from the Seoul Survey and the Ministry of Data and Statistics. According to this report, as of 2024, the population of middle-aged individuals (aged 40 to 59) in Seoul stands at approximately 2,740,299, accounting for about 31% of the total population (8,968,153 Korean nationals). Among them, about 560,000 are unmarried, making up 20.5%. The unmarried rate has shown an upward trend, rising from 18.3% in 2022 and 19.4% in 2023.
In particular, the proportion of unmarried individuals among middle-aged men was 24.1%, which is higher than that of women at 16.9%.
The proportion of single-person households among the unmarried middle-aged population rose significantly from 61.3% in 2015 to 80.5% in 2025 over the past decade. In contrast, those living with parents or in multi-generational households decreased from 33.5% to 17.7% over the same period.
Looking at unmarried middle-aged people living alone by occupation, the proportion of managers and white-collar professionals increased from 53.9% in 2015 to 66.9% in 2025. Among multi-generational households, the share of managers and white-collar professionals also rose from 64.4% to 71.4% during the same period, but the increase was less pronounced than in single-person households. The city analyzed this as a trend where groups with stable jobs and economic foundations are more likely to choose independent living.
The lives of unmarried middle-aged individuals living alone differed significantly according to income level. Among managers and professionals, the rate of active leisure activities was the highest among all occupations, with 36.1% on weekdays and 47.1% on weekends. The rate of engaging in sports activities three to four times a week was also highest among managers and professionals.
Overall life satisfaction, work-life balance, and happiness index all showed a clear upward trend as monthly income increased, while feelings of loneliness decreased. For single-person households, overall life satisfaction (out of 10 points) was 5.5 for those earning less than 2 million won per month, 6.7 for those earning 2 to 4 million won, 6.9 for 4 to 6 million won, 7.1 for 6 to 8 million won, and 7.7 for those earning more than 8 million won.
Work-life balance scores were 4.7 for those earning less than 2 million won per month and 6.0 for those earning more than 8 million won, indicating that higher income is associated with a better ability to enjoy leisure. The happiness index was 5.0 for those earning less than 2 million won and 7.8 for those earning more than 8 million won, showing a proportional relationship with income. However, the "sense of community" for single-person middle-aged households was 3.4 out of 10, lower than that of married couple households (4.3 points), indicating a relatively weaker social network. Among single-person households, unmarried men in their 40s recorded the lowest score at 3.0. Participation in group activities was also lower among single-person unmarried households (76.2%) compared to married households with children (83.3%).
Kang Okhyun, Director of the Digital City Bureau at Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "Middle-aged singles are no longer an exceptional group but are becoming the new household norm in Seoul. Based on these analysis results, we will expand tailored policies to respond to the population and household structure in which remaining single has become commonplace."
