There has been a sharp increase in Scotland in the number of people who live in single person households according to the latest census data – up 13%, or 106,700 since 2011.

The largest increase in people living on their own is in those aged 55 and over.

For Orkney 11.7% of the age group 55+ live in single person households. The 2022 Scotland census recorded 10,631 households in Orkney. The table below shows the household size.

1 person household	4113
2 person household	3872
3 person household	1206
4 person household	982
5 person household	347
6 person household	85
7 person household	21
8+ person household	6

For Scotland as a whole there were 930,000 single person households in 2022. Over a third of all households were single person (37.1%). Single person was the most common household size, followed by two person households (856,000).

Over half a million people aged 55 and over were living alone in 2022 (553,200). And most of the increase in people living alone was in this age group. In 2022 there were 40,600 more people aged 55 to 64 living alone than in 2011. There were also increases in people living alone among the 65 to 74 and 75 and over age groups.

This large increase in older people living on their own has implications for the provision of health and social care services where wider family support networks cannot be counted upon to provide extra care if required. This increase, however, was to be expected due to the ageing population. For planners the continued increase in older people living in single person households will determine future housing needs, supported housing, and the provision of wider services locally.

Around 1 in 6 people living in households aged 16 to 54 lived alone in 2022 (14.1%). Around 1 in 3 people living in households aged 55 and over lived alone (30.1%). This is similar to 2011 when 29.6% of over 55s lived alone.

Click on this link for more data from Scotland’s Census 2022

Fiona Grahame