The number of single-person households has risen sharply over the past two decades, increasing by about 22% since 2004, when 14 million people (17.1%) lived alone. The figure now stands at 20.6% of the population.
Single-person households are most common among older adults. More than a third (34%) of those aged 65 and over live alone, a figure that rises to 56% among people aged 85 and above. But the trend also affects younger adults: 28% of those aged 25 to 34 now live alone – well above average, the statisticians said.
Germany’s overall rate is significantly higher than the EU average of 16.2%.
People living alone are especially vulnerable to poverty. According to preliminary results from the 2024 microcensus, 29% of single-person households are at risk of poverty, nearly double the rate for the general population.
Almost 83.6 million people lived in Germany at the end of 2024.
Source: dpa
