S.Korea’s 1-person households may reach 40% in 2050

People sit under the Cheongdam Bridge near the waters of the Han River in Seoul on June 10, 2022. (ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

SEOUL – South Korea's one-person households are  estimated to reach nearly 40 percent of the total households in 2050 due to low births and an aging population, government data showed on Tuesday.

The proportion of one-member households will advance from 31.2 percent of the total in 2020 to 39.6 percent in 2050, according to forecast by Statistics Korea.

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In 2050, the highest share in the one-person households is estimated to be those in their 80s or older ages with 24.5 percent

The number of two-member households is forecast to rise from 28.0 percent to 36.2 percent of the total households during the same period.

Meanwhile, households with three and four members are expected to slide to 16.6 percent and 6.2 percent of the total respectively by 2050, the data showed.

The gain in households with one or two members is expected to come due to the younger generation refraining from getting married and having babies with the population rapidly aging.

By age, those in their 20s accounted for the highest portion of 18.8 percent among the total one-person households in 2020, followed by those in their 30s with 16.8 percent.

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In 2050, the highest share in the one-person households is estimated to be those in their 80s or older ages with 24.5 percent, followed by those in their 70s with 18.4 percent.