The ratio of one-member households in Korea will increase sharply over the next few decades, emerging as the standard family structure here, a government report showed Tuesday.
According to the report by Statistics Korea, households consisting of a single member will account for 34.3 percent of the total families in 2035, up from 23.9 percent tallied in 2010.
The forecast is based on an analysis of the population in 16 large cities and provinces across the country, the agency said.
The increase in one-member households is attributable to a growing number of people who remain single after their spouses pass away, the report forecast. The households also include those comprising of unmarried and divorced people.
This strikes a contrast with the current major family type mostly consisting of two spouses and their children, which accounts for more than a third of the total, the report said.
Of the projected number, 35.4 percent will be comprised of people who lose their spouses, an increase from 28.8 percent in 2010, the report showed. Households comprised of unmarried and divorced people will account for 33.8 percent and 17 percent, respectively.
The report also forecast that the age of one-member households will likely increase down the road in line with the fast-aging population.
The ratio of households whose single member is 65 years or older stood at 25.4 percent in 2010, but it will increase to 45 percent by the end of 2035, the report showed.
Meanwhile, the total number of households will increase from 17.36 million to 22.26 million in 2035 due mainly to families becoming small-sized. The median age of breadwinners will also rise from 48.8 to 60.9 over the cited period, according to the report. (Yonhap)