Japan saw a record number of people living alone last year, while households with children under the age of 18 reached an all-time low, a government survey showed on Friday.
Single-person households in the Asian country totaled 18.5 million as of June 2023, comprising 34 percent of all households, the highest figures since records began in 1986, according to a national survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Among solo dwellers, elderly individuals living alone totaled 8.55 million, the second-highest on record.
In contrast, households with unmarried children under 18 dropped to a record low of 9.83 million, amid Japan's ongoing challenges from an aging population and declining birth rates.
The ministry attributed the trends to the country's advanced age demographics and increasing rates of unmarried individuals.
"The primary reason for the increase in one-person households is the rise in the number of unmarried individuals, many of which are non-regular employees finding it difficult to support a family economically," commented Takashi Kadokura, a Japanese economist.
The survey also addressed financial hardships, with 59.6 percent of households reporting that life is "very difficult" or "somewhat difficult," up 8 percentage points from the previous year.
In particular, 65 percent of households with children described their financial situation as challenging, a significant increase from 2022, citing the rising cost of living as a primary factor behind the financial stress.
Average household income also saw a decline, dropping to 5.24 million yen (about 32,590 U.S. dollars) from 5.46 million yen (about 33,960 U.S. dollars) recorded in the previous survey.
