Going it alone

Figures show a large rise in single person households - and that is only going to increase

MORE people are living alone in the UK than ever before.

In 2019, 8.2 million people were living alone - up by a fifth over the last 20 years.

In 1999 6.8 million people didn’t live with another person.

The figures - released by the Office For National Statistics - paint a picture of an increasingly atomised country.

By 2039, the number of one-person households is projected to rise to 10.7 million.

The ONS said that the majority of this increase is driven by the growth in the numbers of men living alone (72.1%) and that a large proportion of those are aged 45 to 64 years.

That could be to do with the fact that higher proportions of men than women never marry - and that men marry older, often marrying women younger than themselves.

It could also be to do with partnership dissolution - where men end up living alone and women end up living with the children from the relationship.

The figures show a big geographical disparity in where people are living alone.

Fewerthanone-quarterofhouseholds in London were somebody living alone - compared with the UK average of 29.5%.

On the other hand, Scotland has the highest percentage - at 35.0%.

That difference can partly be explained by the fact that in London, housing is far more expensive - meaning that people will often live with someone else to split the rent.

London also had the largest proportion of households made up of two or more unrelated adults.

A separate study earlier this year found that people living alone spend more of their money, are more likely to be renting, and feel less financially secure that people living in two adult households.

Fewer people who live alone reported that they had money left over at the end of the week or month.

However, the costs of living alone are not just financial.

Research shows that people living on their own report lower levels of happiness and higher levels of anxiety than those living together with a partner and no children.

Dr Aideen Young, Evidence Manager at the Centre for Ageing Better said: “We must take steps to ensure that living alone does not translate to being lonely and isolated.

“It’s crucial that people are supported to stay connected to their communities as they age. This means good transport systems that enable people to get out and about and keep active.

“It also means inclusive services, shops and places in which social connections can flourish.

“We must ensure that people live in safe homes, in a good state of repair, with the adaptions they need to help them remain as healthy, active and independent as possible, for as long as possible.”