Over the past four decades in South Korea, the structure of households has shifted dramatically from extended, multigenerational families to predominantly single-person and couple-only households, according to recent research.

Even amid a stagnating or declining total population, the number of households has continued to rise sharply — a sign of increasing fragmentation and individualization in living arrangements.

A report by the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that in 2023, the number of households reached about 22.7 million, roughly 2.8 times higher than in 1980, when there were about 8 million households. This growth far outpaced the increase in total population during the same period.

The most notable change is the surge in single-person households, which made up only 4.8% of all households in 1980 but rose to about 35.5% by 2023 — meaning roughly one in three households now consists of a single person. Meanwhile, extended families with parents, children, and other relatives living together have declined significantly.

At the same time, couple-only households have become widespread, particularly among older adults whose children have left home. The population living in such households grew more than eleven-fold between 1980 and 2020.

Researchers attribute these trends to demographic changes such as increased life expectancy, a growing elderly population, and stronger preferences for independence among both the young and older adults. The shift has implications for social support systems, housing policy, and welfare programs, which officials say must adapt to the reality of more fragmented household types.

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