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Number of single-person households tops 8 million in 2024: Data

Published: 30 Nov. 2025, 12:29

People in heavy winter clothing walk through Gwanghwamun Intersection in central Seoul on Nov. 26. [NEWS1]

The number of single-person households has climbed to a record high of over 8 million, data showed Sunday, with estimates suggesting the trend will continue as the country grapples with a stagnant birthrate and an aging population.

The number of single-person households came to 8.05 million as of end-2024, accounting for 36.1 percent of the total, according to a social security factbook released by the Welfare Ministry.

The figure has been on a steady rise from 5.2 million in 2015 to 6.64 million in 2020, accounting for 31.7 percent of all households and breaching the 30 percent mark for the first time in history.

If this upward trend continues, the number of single-person households is expected to reach 8.55 million in 2027, 9.71 million in 2037 and 9.94 million in 2042.

Meanwhile, the number of senior citizens aged 65 or older has surpassed the 10 million mark for the first time last year, with Korea entering the "super-aged" society, as the share of its elderly population surpassed 20 percent.

Yonhap