SEJONG -- The number of people residing alone has continued to increase in South Korea over the past few years, with the figure rising by 1.6 million in just five years.

According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the number of single-person households came to 8.76 million as of June. They made up 38.4 percent of the total 22.79 million households nationwide.

The growth pace is noteworthy, compared to five years earlier in June 2015, when the tally and percentage of single households marked 7.15 million and 34.2 percent.

Demographic research analysts say the trend is due to declining marriage rates, rising divorce rates and the increasing number of older people residing alone due to the gap in life span between men and women, with women living longer.

Last month, eight of the 17 major areas (eight cities and nine provinces) posted more than 40 percent in the portion of one-member households.

Seoul topped the list in the percentage among the eight major cities. The tally for single-person households in the capital came to 1.81 million, which was 41.3 percent of the total 4.38 million households.
 

A government official said that “many households whose family members are two or more have moved to satellite cities in Gyeonggi Province due to high apartment prices.”

“The growth of one-member households in Seoul is attributed to the unmarried young generation in their 20s and 30s working or studying in Seoul amid low marriage rates and fertility rates,” he said.

The portion of those in Seoul residing alone stood at 34.7 percent in June 2008 and 36.2 percent in June 2014. The figure surged by more than 5 percentage points to 41.3 percent in the six years to last month.

Daejeon ranked second among the eight cities with 38.6 percent, where the number of single-person households posted 249,000 of the city’s total 644,000 last month. Busan was third with 37.8 percent, followed by Gwangju with 37.4 percent, Daegu at 35.8 percent and Incheon with 35.4 percent.

Alongside Seoul, these five metropolitan cities are undergoing a situation where a growing portion of the young generation are reluctant to get married in the wake of high unemployment rates and other uncertainties involving spiraling apartment prices.

In contrast, Ulsan and Sejong posted relatively low figures, 32.8 percent and 32.3 percent, respectively.

A government official attributed the low percentage of single-person households in the two cities to a low percentage of older residents. “As Ulsan and Sejong hold manufacturing- and administrative-oriented jobs, respectively, the number of seniors residing alone is also relatively low.”

Among nine provinces, South Jeolla Province recorded the highest portion of 44 percent, followed by Gangwon Province at 42.7 percent. Following in order were North Gyeongsang Province at 41.7 percent, South Chungcheong Province at 41.4 percent and North Chungcheong Province at 41.2 percent

Jeju Island and North Jeolla Province also surpassed the 40 percent mark, at 41.1 percent and 40.9 percent, respectively.

The data indicates that a growing number of older people are residing alone in rural areas after losing a spouse and with their married children having moved to metropolitan cities.

In contrast, Gyeonggi Province ranked last among the nine provinces with 35 percent, particularly as the province has new residential townships, where many two-member households or newlyweds have moved to from Seoul. South Gyeongsang Province posted 37.3 percent.

According to the Interior Ministry, the number of single households across the country (8.76 million) far exceeded two-member households (5.26 million), three-member (4.01 million), four-member (3.59 million), five-member (903,000) and six-member households (184,000).

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)