Neither by age nor by income: the data that explains the rise of people living alone

Over the last two decades, Argentina has experienced a profound change in the composition of urban households. A silent but sustained phenomenon has made its way into the statistics and is already shaping a central part of the housing landscape: the growth of people living alone, a phenomenon also known as single-person households. Today, one in four households in the country has this characteristic, and in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the figure rises to 40%.

This demographic transformation not only reflects a new way of living but also new demands for housing, services, and public policies. The latest national census confirms that 24.8% of urban households in Argentina are single-person, which accounts for 9% of the total population of the country. In 2001, that figure was only 12.2%. The doubling in two decades reveals a cultural, economic, and social transformation that can no longer be ignored.

A change that does not distinguish ages (but intersects them)

Although housing loneliness is traditionally associated with old age, data shows that the phenomenon extends across different age groups. In fact, between 2010 and 2022, the group that grew the most in the number of people living alone was young adults: people between 20 and 39 years old living alone increased by 137% during that period, representing 37% of the total growth of single-person households.

This young segment is also the one that rents the most: 53% live in rented housing, well above the general average, which raises questions about the sustainability of this way of life in the future. In contrast, among those over 65, an increase was also observed (from 21% to 24%), although less pronounced.

In CABA, for example, 34% of older adults live alone, while in La Pampa that figure reaches 32%. Other provinces with high prevalence include Santa Fe, Córdoba, Chubut, and Río Negro, all above 25%.

A pattern concentrated in large cities

The people living alone are not evenly distributed across Argentine territory. The City of Buenos Aires tops the ranking with 39.1% of single-person households, far above the national average. It is followed by provinces like La Pampa, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Chubut, and the Patagonian provinces, with percentages ranging from 25% to 30%.

At the other end, provinces like San Juan, Tucumán, Salta, Santiago del Estero, Corrientes, and Catamarca show a lower proportion of single-person households (less than 20%) and, conversely, a high presence of large households with more than five members.

A possible explanation lies in the aging population in certain jurisdictions, but also in the availability of apartments and the higher degree of urbanization in regions with a greater prevalence of single-person households. Apartments are the main choice for this type of household: 36% of them live in this type of housing, compared to 16% in cohabiting households.

More women living alone, but also more men in Patagonia

At the national level, women represent the majority among those living alone: for every 100 women, there are 87 men in single-person households. This trend is even stronger in CABA, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Mendoza, and Entre Ríos.

However, the pattern is reversed in the Patagonian provinces and some in the north of the country, where male predominance is clear. In Tierra del Fuego, for example, there are 130 men for every 100 women living alone. This masculinization may be associated with labor migration processes or the characteristics of the regional labor market.

Lower structural poverty and better material conditions

A striking fact provided by the report is that single-person households have, on average, fewer unmet basic needs (NBI) and lower material deprivation than cohabiting households. Only 4% of single-person households present NBI, compared to 7.3% in other urban households. Additionally, the Household Material Deprivation Index (IPMH) shows that only 21.3% of single-person households present some type of deficiency, compared to 36.8% in other households.

Despite this relative advantage, renting remains the norm for those living alone: 32% rent, compared to 19% among those living in households with more people. Only 55% of those living alone are homeowners, while in other households the percentage rises to 69%.

Activity, study, and retirement: who lives alone and what they do

The population living alone is not homogeneous. 38% are retirees or pensioners, a percentage much higher than that observed in other households. Meanwhile, 11% of those living alone are employed, while only 7% are students. In contrast, among households with more people, 21% are students.

In CABA, 33% of retirees and 15% of students live alone, figures that far exceed the national average. This data reinforces the idea that large cities concentrate both independent young people and older individuals aging in solitude.

Within the labor universe, single-person households are more common among those working in financial services (17%), education (13.5%), health, and public administration (12.7%). In contrast, they are less common in sectors such as construction, commerce, transportation, industry, and hospitality.

Migration: a minority component, but key in some regions

Although the migratory component is not predominant in this phenomenon, around 10% of people living alone were born in another province or abroad. In CABA and the Patagonian provinces, where migration levels are higher, the proportion of people living alone with external origins is also greater.

On average, 12% of foreigners and 15% of interprovincial migrants live alone, indicating that migration can be a triggering factor for this type of household, especially in the early stages of the adaptation or labor insertion process.

A phenomenon that is consolidating and demanding new responses

The rise of people living alone is a structural phenomenon, transversal to ages, genders, and regions. It reflects profound changes in forms of connection, in the labor market, in family structure, and in personal expectations. It also poses concrete challenges in terms of housing, social policies, and urban design.

The increasing prevalence of these households forces a rethink of city design, housing access strategies, social benefits, and the ways in which care for older adults living alone is guaranteed. The snapshot of this phenomenon offers clues about how we inhabit today and where social life is heading.