Seoul, South Korea
The national statistics office predicted that the percentage of South Koreans who will be living alone in 2050 will more than double from the year 2000. This represents a shift in household makeup that contributes to the lowest fertility rate in the world. In 2021, there were more single-person households (7.2 million, or one in three) than any other type of multiple-person family. According to Statistics Korea, the ratio, which was 15.5 per cent in 2000, will most likely jump to about 40 per cent by the middle of the century. The statistics show that families are changing as Koreans adjust to social conventions and economic realities in a nation that is quickly developing.
Although it still falls far short of Japan or Germany, South Korea now has a share of single-person homes that is roughly equivalent to that of the United Kingdom.
Almost half of singles stated lack of money and job security as their reasons for not getting married, while 12 per cent of respondents stated they felt burdened by having to raise children. 25 per cent of respondents claimed they haven't found the right match or don't feel the rush to get married. The country's elderly demographics will be further strained by the increase in one-person homes.
(With inputs from agencies)
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