Changing Patterns of Family Life - Lone Person Households
Lone person households:
In 2019, 8.2 million households in the UK were inhabited by just one person- 29% of total households according to ONS
The number of people living alone has increased by a fifth over the last 20 years, from 6.8 million in 1999 to 8.2 million in 2019
The majority of this increase is driven by the growth in the number of men living alone (72.1%), predominately aged 45 to 64 years
Reasons for the rise in lone-person households:
Changing attitudes to relationships
Individualism in society
Increased life expectancy
Greater acceptance of alternatives to family
Changing attitudes to relationships:
Relationships have changed in the late modern era and people are more flexible in their choice of partners
More lone-person households as people wait longer to commit to cohabitation or marriage- need to find a partner that meets their needs
Insecurity of relationships- likely that people will become part of a lone-person household through divorce or the end of a relationship
Greater individualism in society:
Career progression is valued more than relationships by many in employment, particularly young professionals
Greater geographical mobility in employment as people move for their work as they try to establish a position of security within their field
The desire for leisure activities, globalised travel and a greater focus on the self has led to increase in people living alone
Increased life expectancy:
Greater life expectancy has led to a rise in the number of divorces and remarriages- males in the 45 to 64 age bracket largest increase in lone-person households
Both men and women are delaying marriage and cohabitation as they are living longer and have more time to start a family in their late thirties
Increase in elderly living alone, through death of partners or divorce in later life
Greater acceptance of alternatives to family:
Rise of families of choice- friends fulfilling the functions of the family which means families are not needed at certain points in the lifecycle
Reduction of stigma attached to single life- career aspirations, travel and self-fulfilment more important to some people
However, increase in multi-family households in the UK in recent years- indicating elderly being moved into family homes
Impacts of increased lone-person households on society:
Affordability of housing- London has the lowest percentage of lone-person households (24%) compared to Scotland (35%)
Social isolation, particularly for older relatives with limited contact with family and friends
Increased costs of living from divorced couples- estimated divorce costs the UK economy £1.7 billion a year or £14,500 on average
Lone person households:
In 2019, 8.2 million households in the UK were inhabited by just one person- 29% of total households according to ONS
The number of people living alone has increased by a fifth over the last 20 years, from 6.8 million in 1999 to 8.2 million in 2019
The majority of this increase is driven by the growth in the number of men living alone (72.1%), predominately aged 45 to 64 years
Reasons for the rise in lone-person households:
Changing attitudes to relationships
Individualism in society
Increased life expectancy
Greater acceptance of alternatives to family
Changing attitudes to relationships:
Relationships have changed in the late modern era and people are more flexible in their choice of partners
More lone-person households as people wait longer to commit to cohabitation or marriage- need to find a partner that meets their needs
Insecurity of relationships- likely that people will become part of a lone-person household through divorce or the end of a relationship
Greater individualism in society:
Career progression is valued more than relationships by many in employment, particularly young professionals
Greater geographical mobility in employment as people move for their work as they try to establish a position of security within their field
The desire for leisure activities, globalised travel and a greater focus on the self has led to increase in people living alone
Increased life expectancy:
Greater life expectancy has led to a rise in the number of divorces and remarriages- males in the 45 to 64 age bracket largest increase in lone-person households
Both men and women are delaying marriage and cohabitation as they are living longer and have more time to start a family in their late thirties
Increase in elderly living alone, through death of partners or divorce in later life
Greater acceptance of alternatives to family:
Rise of families of choice- friends fulfilling the functions of the family which means families are not needed at certain points in the lifecycle
Reduction of stigma attached to single life- career aspirations, travel and self-fulfilment more important to some people
However, increase in multi-family households in the UK in recent years- indicating elderly being moved into family homes
Impacts of increased lone-person households on society:
Affordability of housing- London has the lowest percentage of lone-person households (24%) compared to Scotland (35%)
Social isolation, particularly for older relatives with limited contact with family and friends
Increased costs of living from divorced couples- estimated divorce costs the UK economy £1.7 billion a year or £14,500 on average
