THE NUMBER of single member households in South Korea has been increasing as more people delay their marriages and also due to a rapidly aging population.
Statistics Korea said more than 30 per cent of the population were now living alone.
Households consisting just one person totaled 6.15 million in 2019, up from 5.85 million the previous year, the statistics agency said, according to Yonhap news agency.
It has been rising steadily since 2015, when the figure was at 27.2 per cent.
Of such households, people in their 20s accounted for 18.2 per cent last year, followed by people in the 30s with 16.8 per cent and in their 50s with 16.3 percent.
The data also showed that six in 10 single-member households had jobs last year.
The statistics agency said 38 per cent of them lived in rented homes 30.6 per cent in their own homes while those living in homes on lease under a two-year deal, called "jeonse," totalled 15.8 per cent.
The Korean statistics agency data had also showed that the country's population will drop to 48.57 million in 2040 after peaking at 50.02 million in 2021.
Those aged over 65 will double to 16.66 million that year, from 8.03 million this year.
The seniors account currently for 16.1 per cent of the population but the figure will climb to 25.5 per cent in 2030.
Over one in three will be aged over 65 in 2040, as the figure will further rise to 34.3 per cent.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs had previously said that the single member households remain vulnerable to poverty despite increased state employment projects and spending.
The relative poverty rate of such households, referring to the percentage of people with income below 50 percent of the median income, was 51.3 per cent in 2018.
The poverty rate for two-member households was 28.7 per cent, three-member households at 11.1 percent and households with four or more members was at 8.2 per cent.
The report said the figures for one member household points to the need for the government to come up with diverse policies to support them, including more job opportunities.
Their poverty rate could even worsen this year as social distancing measures due to the Covid-19 outbreak is feared to have hit their incomes harder.
South Korea has again started to tighten social distancing regulations as cases have again started to rise.