Are we getting lonelier? Number of one-person households is set to rise by a QUARTER over next 25 years
- Number of one person households will soar by nearly 2 million from 2016 to 2041
- Number of people aged 90 or over expected to double over the next 25 years
- Campaigners urged Britons to spend more time with their isolated neighbours
The number of one-person households is set to soar by a quarter over the next 25 years – fuelling fears England will be hit by a loneliness epidemic.
The Office for National Statistics said the number will rise by nearly 2 million – from 7,057,049 in 2016 to 8,891,109 in 2041.
The massive rise is driven by a surge in the number of elderly people who are living alone in their old age for longer.
The number of people aged 90 years or over and living on their own is projected to more than double, from 241,073 in 2016 to 587,724 in 2041.
With Christmas just three weeks away, campaigners urged Britons to make sure they spend time with family or neighbours who could find themselves lonely and isolated.
The massive rise is driven by a surge in the number of elderly people who are living alone in their old age for longer. The number of people aged 90 years or over and living on their own is projected to more than double, from 241,073 in 2016 to 587,724 in 2041 (pictured)
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Labour MP Rachel Reeves, who is co-chair of the Jo Cox Loneliness Commission, warned more and more people are reporting that they are always or often lonely.
She told MailOnline: ‘I saw people of all ages grappling with loneliness, but as we live longer and as families live further apart there are more older people living alone without regular contact and communication with the people they love.
‘All of us should make sure in our own families, friendship groups and neighbourhoods that we look out for people who might be on their own, especially as we look forward to celebrating Christmas.’
The figures, released today, also show that the number of households with dependent children will remain broadly similar between 2016 and 2041, with around a quarter of households having dependent children by 2041.
Around four times more women than men currently live alone at the age of 90 or over, with figures for 2016 showing that 181,132 females were in this category compared to 59,924.
Labour MP Rachel Reeves, who is co-chair of the Jo Cox Loneliness Commission, warned that more and more people are reporting that they are always or often lonely (file pic)
But over the next quarter of a century the number of men living to this old age and on their own is expected to soar massively to 198,764 – closing the gap on women at 388,960.
Joanna Harkrader, Centre for Ageing and Demography, at the ONS, said: ‘Today’s figures show that the number of people in England living on their own is projected to increase by over a quarter over the next 25 years, driven mostly by increases in the number of older people living alone.
‘In contrast, the number of households with dependent children is projected to remain broadly similar.
‘These figures reflect the potential impact of an ageing population and lower numbers of children being born on future living arrangements.’
The east of England is expected to have the largest rise in the number one-person homes – up by nearly a third (31 per cent) over the next 25 years.
London and the South East are next at 30 per cent, followed by the South West at 29 per cent, the East Midlands at 28 per cent and the West Midlands at 24 per cent.
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