The proportion of one-person households has almost doubled since 1971 from 17% in that year to 31% in 2001. This increase has played an important part in reducing the overall average household size. The proportion of households containing one adult aged 16 to 59 was 15%, which was no different from 2000 but represents a threefold increase since the GHS began, from 5% in 1971.

Among adults aged 16 and over, 16% lived alone in 2001, not statistically significantly different from the proportion in 2000. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a continuing upward trend in the proportion of adults living alone, but there has been little change over the past decade, other than a small increase in the late 1990s.

The likelihood of living alone increased with age, with 49% of people aged 75 and over living alone compared with 12% of those aged 25 to 44. Among people under 45, men were more likely than women to live alone; 15% did so compared with 5% of women. The situation was reversed for those aged 75 and over. Among women in this age group, 59% lived alone compared with 32% of men. The proportion of people aged 65 and over living alone has remained relatively stable since the mid 1980s. Among people aged 25 to 44, the proportion living alone has increased from 2% in 1971 to 12% in 2001, although there has been no change since 1998.