Rise of single-person households transforms Seoul’s family landscape

Single-person households and households consisting of older people are on the rise in Seoul, while the number of families with young children is shrinking, reshaping the capital’s family landscape. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday released a study analyzing shifts in marriage and divorce, family values and household structures, drawing on government data, including figures from Statistics Korea. As of last year, single-person households were the most common in Seoul, totaling around 1.66 million, or 40 percent of the total. Two-person households made up 26 percent, followed by four-person households at 12 percent. In July, Seoul became a “super-aged society,” with more than 20 percent of its population age 60 or older. Additionally, more than 30 percent of households had at least one member 65 or older. In contrast, households with children and single-parent households have been declining. In Seoul, households with children aged 5 or younger fell from about 350,000 in 2016 to 200,000 in 2024, a drop of more than 40 percent. Over the same period, the number of children 5 oWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times