‘Single households to dominate Seoul by 2030’

The number of single households in Seoul City is projected to outpace those comprised of unmarried people and their parents by 2030, data showed Sunday.

According to a report by Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of single households in the capital accounted for 27 percent of the total this year, nearly an 11 percent jump since 2000. With the growing trend, the figure is estimated to reach 30.1 percent by 2030, it said.

Meanwhile, the number of family groups of one child or unmarried adults living with two parents is expected to drop to 25.4 percent by the same year. It recorded 33.6 percent this year, down 16 percent from 2000.

Along with single households, the number of other types of “mini-households” is also estimated to hike, officials said.

Couple households, which accounted for 13.5 percent this year, are predicted to make up 17.9 percent of the total by 2030. Single-parent households will grow to 11.2 percent, up 0.7 percent from this year, the data said.

The number of households with grandparents and grandchildren is also projected to double to 1.3 percent by 2030, it added.

The city government said the increasing number of those who are unmarried, divorced or separated contributed to the rise of “mini-households,” along with the low birthrate and growing aging population.

Compared to 2000, the number of households of those aged 60 or older nearly doubled to 27.1 percent. It is expected to jump to 44.4 percent in 15 years, it added.

While those in their 30s and 40s made up more than half of the capital’s population in 2000, those in their 50s and 60s accounted for the majority this year, with 50.5 percent, the report said.

As of late last year, Seoul City’s population recorded more than 10.3 million, with about 4.2 million households, officials said.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)