BACKGROUND
Living alone (in a one-person household) has reached very high levels in some parts of
the world. Across Asia the phenomenon is common in parts of East Asia, but has rarely
been examined in South or Southeast Asia.
OBJECTIVE
The authors seek to establish from the evidence of censuses the main contours of living
alone in South and Southeast Asia, and in doing so address issues of definition and
measurement, particularly issues arising due to differences in the census handling of the
‘group quarters’ type of household.
METHODS
The paper examines 10 national censuses in the IPUMS archive of census micro-files.
The data are explored for age profiles of living alone by sex, classified by urban versus
rural residence and marital status.
RESULTS
The censuses reveal a combination of underlying commonalities among the countries
and dates as well as distinct national features. There are distinct age profiles for males
and females, and profiles typical of urban and rural sectors across countries. Living
alone in group quarters is most common among young adults. Tabulation by marital
status shows considerable variation among single young adults and elderly widowed or
divorced/separated persons. It is also found that the proportions of the population not
living with core family who are living alone vary widely by age and sex and across
countries and years.