Seoul: Single-person households accounted for around 36 percent of all households in South Korea in 2024, making them the single-largest household category, government data showed Tuesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, there were 8.05 million households comprising a single person, accounting for 36.1 percent of the country's total households, based on an annual survey conducted by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Two-person households followed at 29 percent, while three-person units made up 18.8 percent. The remaining 16 percent were households with four or more members.

The survey indicated that the proportion of one-person households increased by 0.6 percentage point from the previous year, and two-person households saw a rise of 0.2 percentage point. In contrast, the proportion of three-person and four-or-more-person households decreased by 0.2 percentage point and 0.8 percentage point, respectively.

The data also highlighted age demographics within these single-person households, revealing that 19.8 percent were composed of individuals aged 70 and above, while 17.8 percent consisted of those aged 29 and below. Employment statistics showed that more than 60 percent of one-person households were employed, with approximately four out of 10 individuals either operating small businesses or working in the public service sector.

The survey reported that the average yearly income for people living alone was 34.23 million won (US$23,288) in 2024, marking an increase of 6.2 percent from the previous year. However, this figure remains significantly lower than the average income of all households, which stands at 74.27 million won.

In terms of social satisfaction, 51.1 percent of single-person households expressed contentment with their social relations, a figure lower than the 55.5 percent satisfaction rate reported by all households. Additionally, nearly 49 percent of individuals living alone stated they often or sometimes feel lonely, a notably higher percentage compared to 38.2 percent of all households who reported similar feelings.