There are over 8 million one-person households in South Korea, and it may approach 10 million by the middle of this century

The number of one-person households in South Korea has been on the rise continuously. Last year, it accounted for more than 36% of the total number of households for the first time.

Yonhap News Agency reported that statistics released by South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare on Sunday (November 30) showed that the number of one-person households in South Korea reached 8,045,000 last year, accounting for 36.1% of the total number of households.

In 2015, the number of one-person households in South Korea was 5.2 million, accounting for 27.2%. It increased to 6.64 million households in 2020, accounting for 31.7%, and has continued to rise since then.

Based on the current trend, it is estimated that the number of one-person households in South Korea will reach 8.55 million by 2027. It will reach 9.71 million households in 2037. By 2042, it will reach 9.94 million households, approaching the 10 million mark.

Meanwhile, the number of people aged 65 and above in South Korea exceeded 10 million for the first time last year, accounting for 20.1% of the total population. This means that South Korea has officially entered a "super-aged society".

The number of nurseries across the country has sharply declined to 27,387, a reduction of nearly half compared to 2013.