The proportion of one person households has almost doubled since 1971 from 17% in that year to 32% in 2000. It is this increase that has had the most significant effect on reducing the overall average household size. Most of the increase can be seen for households containing one adult aged 16 to 59 (from 5% in 1971 to 16% in 2000).

For adults aged 16 and over, 17% lived alone in 2000 with no change from the figure for 1998. There was a long term rise in the proportion of people aged 16 and over living alone from 9% in 1973 to 14% in 1991. There was then little change over the decase, before showing a small rise in the late 1990s.

The likelihood of living alone increased with age, with 50% of those aged 75 and over living alone compared with 12% of those aged 25 to 44. Older women are more likely to live alone than older men: 60% of women aged 75 and over lived alone compared with 33% of men. The proportion of those aged 65 to 74 and 75 and over living alone has remained relatively stable since the mid 80s while the proportion of those aged 25 to 44 has increased from 5% to 12%.