Les menages d'une personne en Europe

Abstract

Kaufmann (Jean-Claude). - One-Person Households in Europe The number of one-person households has increased strongly and steadily throughout Europe. The largest number of single-person households is found among the population aged 65 and over. Their number, however, is growing only slowly, while the rate of growth in the intermediate age group is higher, and is largest among people aged between 25 and 35. It is not surprising that the increase in the propensity to live alone is lowest among widows and widowers, average for divorced persons, and highest for the single. Residential autonomy results from higher mortality levels among elderly men, difficulties in forming couple-relationships in the intermediate age group, and postponement of adult commitments by young people. The paper is based on a review of European research and shows a series of important characteristics of single-person households. The prevalence of these households differs between social groups and they are commonest at either end of the social scale, particularly among men. Patterns of living alone during their life cycles differ for men and women. Finally, single-person households are rarely durable, except among the elderly, and often constitute a series of very brief experiments for the young.

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