Trends and social reasons of living alone

In connection with the global trend of the spreading one-person households, the basic concepts and directions of studying loneliness are analyzed. The empirical base is the data from the censuses of 2002, 2010, 2021, Statistical Survey of Income and Participation in Social Programs-2022 and Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey – Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE, 2009, 2021 and 2022), foreign studies results on the problems of single households and loneliness.

The reasons for the spread of single households can be considered as an increase in life expectancy, developing social security system, urbanization, economic independence of women and adult children, nuclearization of families, decreasing levels of marriage and fertility, internal and external migration, spreading individualism values, self-realization and tolerance to various lifestyles. In Russia, the share of households consisting of one person in cities among other private households is doubling from 2002 to 2021 to amount to 43,8%. Against the background of data on developed countries, the indicator is high, which may be due to a different calculating methodology. The proportion of working-age people living in single households in cities has also increased from 46,9% to 59,6%. Such changes were probably facilitated by economic independence of adult children from their parents, an increase in the age of family formation and childbirth, and the practices of intimate and marital relations in different households.

According to the RLMS-HSE data there are more men living in one-person households in young and middle age while for women these ages are older. At the age of 36–59, there are almost twice as many people living without partners who are dissatisfied with life and have nervous disorders or depression compared to spouses in the same age. There are no differences in indicators such as smoking, alcohol consumption, assessment of health and financial situation. There are fewer satisfied cohabitees among women, but not among male cohabitees, who are probably more likely to be satisfied with a situation without obligations. The absence of children can be considered one of the criteria for the empirical identification of single people. At the age of 60 and older, 8% of men and 9% of women in cities did not have native or officially adopted children. The indicators of well-being of those who have and do not have natives or officially adopted children were compared. There were no differences in indicators such as smoking, alcohol consumption, health and financial status assessment. The absence of natives or officially adopted children aged 60 years and more has a negative impact mainly on women’s life satisfaction.

The trend of living in one-person households, including those in working ages, is likely to persist in Russia. From the point of view of fertility, a low level of final celibacy for men and women and the low rate of women’s childlessness in comparison with developed countries are encouraging so far. A high divorce rate is partially offset by remarriages. Cohabitation is rather not an alternative to marriage, at least among educated groups of the population, but only a stage in life for a balanced choice of a partner.