The proportion of young adults aged 19 to 34 living alone surpassed 20 percent as pf 2020, more than three times the rate 20 years ago. The unmarried rate among young adults, which stood at 54.5 percent in 2000, has skyrocketed to 81.5 percent in just two decades. Consequently, it is anticipated that the youth population will decline by half in the next 30 years.
Based on the results of the “Analysis of Changes in the Youth Generation in South Korea Based on the Population and Housing Census from 2000 to 2020” released by Statistics Korea on Nov. 27, the proportion of young adults aged 19 to 34 living alone was 20.1 percent as of 2020, more than three times the 6.6 percent recorded in 2000. This increase is attributed to the trend of delayed marriage, leading to a rise in single-person households with the “living alone” lifestyle.
Over the same period, the proportion of young adults who are married significantly decreased from 37.1 percent to 15.5 percent. The percentage of young adults living alone, which was 6.6 percent in 2000, showed a remarkable upward trend, increasing to 9.5 percent in 2005, 12.6 percent in 2010, 12.9 percent in 2015, and reaching 20.1 percent in 2020.
The trend of delayed marriage and the spread of unmarried culture are reflected in the marriage rate. As of 2020, unmarried young adults accounted for 81.5 percent of the total, totaling 7,837,000 individuals. This marked a 6.5 percentage point increase from 75.0 percent in 2015 and a whopping 30 percentage point increase from 54.5 percent in 2000. Particularly noteworthy is the unmarried rate of those considered to be in the prime age for marriage, aged 30 to 34, which stood at 56.3 percent in 2020. This is more than three times the 18.7 percent recorded in 2000. As of 2020, the average age at marriage is 33.2 for men and 30.8 for women.
As of 2020, the population of young adults living alone was 1,935,000, a 53.8 percent increase from 1,259,000 in 2015. Among them, 1,061,000 were male, and 875,000 were female. Of those living alone, 96.9 percent were unmarried, and 75.7 percent were economically active. The primary reason for young adults living alone was “employment,” accounting for 55.7 percent. Other reasons included “independence” at 23.6 percent and “education” at 14.8 percent.
Due to the aftermath of non-marriage and low birth rates, the population of young adults continues to decrease. The youth population, which was 12,883,000 in 2000, declined to 10,967,000 in 2010 and further to 10,213,000 in 2020. If this trend persists, the youth population is projected to decrease to half the current level, reaching 5,213,000 by 2050. The proportion of the youth generation in the overall population is also expected to decrease from 28.0 percent in 2000 to 11.0 percent in 2050.