A single-person household support center in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, on Dec. 9, 2025 [YONHAP]
About one in five Seoul residents in their 40s and 50s is unmarried, according to a report released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which found that levels of life satisfaction and happiness among middle-aged singles varied significantly depending on income.
Seoul had about 2.74 million residents aged 40 to 59 as of last year, accounting for about 31 percent of the city’s 8.97 million Korean nationals, according to the report. The report was published Thursday, titled “The Lives of Middle-Aged Singles in Seoul” (translated), analyzing data from the Seoul Survey and the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
Of those, around 560,000 people, or 20.5 percent, were unmarried.
The proportion of unmarried middle-aged residents has steadily increased from 18.3 percent in 2022 to 19.4 percent in 2023.
By gender, the proportion of unmarried middle-aged men was higher than that of unmarried women, standing at 24.1 percent versus 16.9 percent.
The share of one-person households among unmarried middle-aged residents also rose rapidly. It climbed from 61.3 percent in 2015 to 80.5 percent in 2025.
In contrast, the proportion of households with two or more generations living together, including with parents, fell from 33.5 percent to 17.7 percent over the same period.
By occupation, the proportion of managerial, professional and white-collar workers increased notably among unmarried middle-aged Seoul residents.
Among those living alone, the share of those occupations rose from 53.9 percent in 2015 to 66.9 percent in 2025. In multigenerational households, although the proportion also increased from 64.4 percent to 71.4 percent, the pace of growth was slower than in one-person households.
Families visit Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 5. [KIM CHANG-YONG]
“The findings suggest that people with stable jobs and economic foundations are more likely to choose to live independently,” the Seoul city government said.
The lives of unmarried, middle-aged people living alone varied markedly across income levels.
Managerial and professional workers reported higher participation in active leisure activities than other occupational groups, at 36.1 percent on weekdays and 47.1 percent on weekends. They also recorded the highest rates of participating in sports activities three to four times a week.
The report found that life satisfaction, work-life balance and happiness levels rose as income increased while feelings of loneliness declined.
Among unmarried one-person households, life satisfaction scored 5.5 out of 10 for those earning less than 2 million won ($1,380) a month, compared to 7.7 for those earning at least 8 million won a month. Scores by income bracket were 6.7 for those earning between 2 million won and 4 million won, 6.9 for those earning between 4 million won and 6 million won and 7.1 for those earning between 6 million won and 8 million won.
Work-life balance was rated 4.7 among those earning less than 2 million won a month, compared to 6.0 among those earning at least 8 million won a month.
The happiness index also showed a similar pattern, with scores of 5.0 for those earning less than 2 million won and 7.8 for those earning at least 8 million won.
A Seoul Mind Convenience Store in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul [KIM JONG-HO]
However, unmarried middle-aged people living alone reported relatively low levels of community belonging.
Their sense of belonging to the local community averaged 3.4 out of 10, lower than the 4.3 recorded among married couples. Unmarried men in their 40s living alone recorded the lowest score at 3.0.
Participation in group activities was also lower among unmarried one-person households at 76.2 percent, compared to 83.3 percent among married households with children.
The Seoul city government is currently operating several programs aimed at preventing loneliness and social isolation, including Seoul Mind Convenience Store, a space where people can talk, do a self-check for loneliness and receive counseling; Goodbye Loneliness 120, a 24-hour loneliness support hotline; and the 365 Seoul Challenge Program, a year-round challenge boosting people to participate in various activities.
"We plan to expand customized policies in response to the growing normalization of single middle-aged households and unmarried lifestyles as it is becoming part of everyday life," said Seoul city.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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