Data released by South Korea’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Safety shows that 8.77 million nationals have registered single-family households, accounting for 39% of the 22.7 million households. The second most common type is a 2-person household at 5.26 million, equivalent to 23.1%.
As of June 2020, the number of one-person households and two-person households has increased by 6.9% and 4.3%, respectively, by the end of 2018. 4-person households are the second most popular in 2018, it has now dropped to fourth place, behind a 3-person household.
The data also show that the number of single men (51.5%) is higher than women (48.5%), but this trend is reversed in people aged 60 and older. Most elderly single households are women.
By region, Jeolla Province, South of South Korea, had the largest proportion of single households in the country, accounting for 44.1%, followed by Gangwon Province (42.8%), and Gyeongsang Province in the North. (41.8%). In the southeast region of Gwanak and west of Mapo, Seoul, the majority of single households are people aged 30 and under.
South Korea’s population is currently 51.8 million, of which 26 million, or 50.2%, live in central cities, including Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi. However, it is estimated that the Seoul Metropolitan Region has fewer households than other countries, with an estimated 11.20 million households, compared to the average of other countries of 11.58 million households.
A bride is yawning at a mass wedding ceremony in Korea
South Korea is currently struggling to cope with the demographic crisis and population aging. In 2019, the country’s population growth rate was only 0.05% compared to 2018. The number of people over 65 in Korea in 2019 increased to a record level, surpassing 8 million for the first time.
The South Korean government has implemented many policies, from increasing subsidies, extending maternity leave to launching dating courses, but still unable to encourage people to marry and have more children. The economic burden and marital pressure are the main causes of this situation.
Marriage and childbirth have become a fear for young people in a country where the unemployment rate has been at a record level for the past 17 years and the average annual salary is less than half of what it is. Wages of workers in the US.
