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Four in 10 women living alone in South Korea are aged 65 or older, according to government statistics released Thursday.The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family released the findings as part of its annual statistical report on the lives of women and men marking Gender Equality Week, which runs from Sept. 1 to 7.The report found that Korea had 8.24 million one-person households last year, accounting for 36.6% of all households. That represents a 58.4% increase from 5.20 million in 2015, as the number of people living alone has continued to rise amid growing rates of non-marriage, divorce and widowhood.The aging population has also contributed to an increase in older people living alone. The proportion of women living alone who were 65 or older rose from 38.8% in 2024 to 40.1% last year. Among men living alone, the share increased from 18.1% to 19.4% over the same period.Meanwhile, deaths among people living alone were disproportionately concentrated among middle-aged and older men. In 2024, 3,205 men died alone, compared with 605 women — meaning men accounted for 5.3 times as many such deaths as women.Among those who died alone, 66.1% of men, or 2,117 people, and 47.6% of women, or 288 people, were in their 50s or 60s.The figures appear to reflect weaker social networks among middle-aged and older men. Last year, men were more likely than women to say they had no one to turn to in each of three difficult situations. Some 26.5% of men said they had no one they could ask for help with household chores when they were ill, compared with 23.2% of women. Among those who needed someone to talk to when feeling discouraged or depressed, 24.5% of men said they had no one to turn to, compared with 17.8% of women. And when asked whether they had someone they could borrow a large amount of money from in an emergency, 49.3% of men said they had no such person, compared with 47.8% of women.The annual report, which began in 1997 as “Statistics on Women’s Lives,” tracks trends across 48 indicators in nine areas, including population and households, the labor market, work-life balance and decision-making. This year’s report draws on statistics released by government ministries and agencies through the end of July 2026.By Son Ji-min, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
