The Era of Single-Person Households... Government to Conduct Survey and Develop Comprehensive Measures for Single-Person Households

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] The government will announce customized measures for single-person households in May. The number of single-person households is rapidly increasing, with 4 out of 10 households expected to be single-person households by 2047.

On the 17th, the Ministry of Economy and Finance held the first meeting of the 'Single-Person Household Policy Task Force (TF)' at the Government Seoul Office, chaired by Kim Yong-beom, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The meeting included participation from 15 ministries such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, as well as institutions like the Korea Development Institute (KDI), Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, and Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements.

The government plans to operate dedicated teams divided into five sectors: overall coordination and analysis, welfare and employment, housing, society and safety, and industry, and will announce corresponding measures.

Vice Minister Kim Yong-beom stated, "We must carefully examine how the increase in single-person households will change economic and social lifestyles such as consumption, housing, and leisure, and what social issues such as poverty and loneliness may arise. We also need to reexamine government policies that still primarily focus on four-person households as the policy target."

In South Korea, the number of single-person households is gradually increasing due to changes in population structure such as aging and the trend of avoiding marriage. According to an analysis by Asia Economy of the proportion of single-person households by household head age from 2015 to 2047, the proportion of single-person households among total households (20,349,567 households) is expected to reach 30.3% next year (6,165,823 households), then rise to 33.8% in 2030 and 37.3% in 2047. By 2047, the proportion of single-person households among those aged 35 to 49, the prime age for starting a family, is expected to exceed 30%.

The increase in single-person households is a global phenomenon, not limited to South Korea. Nordic countries such as Norway (47.5%), Denmark (43.5%), and Finland (41.7%) have single-person household proportions exceeding 40%, and Japan also reaches 34.5%.

As the number of single-person households gradually increases, President Moon Jae-in instructed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki in December last year, while receiving a report on the '2020 Economic Policy Direction,' to "create a comprehensive policy package for single-person households."

The government plans to conduct a survey on the actual conditions of single-person households and identify policy demands with the goal of establishing 'customized response measures.' It will also hold gatherings inviting single-person households.

For middle-aged and older single-person households, the government is expected to focus on alleviating social isolation such as solitary deaths. Vice Minister Kim mentioned, "For middle-aged and older single-person households who became single-person households due to reasons such as divorce, remaining unmarried, or being 'gireogi fathers,' ensuring life stability and resolving feelings of isolation is of utmost importance."