More people living alone in Germany than in other EU countries

Statistics - More people living alone in Germany than in other EU countries

Every fifth person in Germany lived alone in the past year, according to statistics from the Statistical Federal Office in Wiesbaden. This share of the population was significantly higher than the EU average of 16.1%, as reported by the European Statistical Office Eurostat. In the five northern or northeastern European countries of Finland, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia, more people lived alone in a household, according to Eurostat. The percentage of Alone-living individuals in these five countries was between 25.8% (Finland) and 21.5% (Estonia). The fewest Alone-living individuals were recorded in Slovakia with 3.8%, Cyprus with 8.0%, and Ireland with 8.3%.

The percentage of Alone-living individuals increased in almost all EU countries between 2013 and 2023, as reported by the Federal Office. The numbers increased from 14.2% in the EU in 2013 to 16.1% in the past year. In Germany, the percentage remained nearly constant at around 20%.

Higher percentage among older people

Older people lived almost twice as often alone as the average population last year, according to the Federal Office. In the EU, this affected 31.6% of people aged 65 and over, while in Germany it was 34.6%.

Alone-living individuals are defined as those living in one-person households in the statistics. People living in private main residence households are counted. People in communal shelters or institutions such as, for example, old-age or care homes, are not recorded.

1. Interestingly, statistics from Destatis demonstrate that Wiesbaden, Germany, is the source of these comprehensive population data.
2. According to Eurostat, Estonia and its eastern neighbors Finland, Lithuania, Sweden, and Denmark all have higher percentages of individuals living alone compared to Germany.
3. Furthermore, the German Statistical Office noted that Germany's EU counterparts, such as Finland and Estonia, display more significant figures in this category.
4. Germany, as a part of the EU, follows similar trends as neighboring countries like Finland and Estonia, but ranked lower in terms of one-person household percentages, reported by EU's Eurostat and Germany's Destatis.
5. The EU, including Germany and Estonia, sees an overall increase in the percentage of one-person households, as showcased by statistics from Eurostat and Destatis.

Read also:

• Severe flooding continues in southern Germany.
• Floods continue to pose a major threat in southern Germany.
• Rising floods in the southern regions
• Floods: water levels remain critical in many places