Number of single households doubles in 15 years

Prague, Aug 5 (CTK) - The number of "single households" has almost doubled in the Czech Republic in the past 15 years, from some 670,000 in 1995 to almost 1.23 million in 2010, according to data that the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) released Friday.

A single household is a household where only one person lives.

One in eight inhabitants of the 10.5-million Czech Republic lives single.

The increase in the number of single households is caused by the rise in life expectancy and changing trends in society, demographers say.

While in 1995 single households made up 6.5 percent of the population, in 2005 it was over 10 percent and last year 12 percent, the CSU statisticians said.

Demographers point out that relations between generations as well as lifestyle have changed. Young people postpone marriage and family life and they have children later. Some of them choose to live as singles for various reasons, the statisticians say.

The number of single households has been rising in all age groups in the Czech Republic, but mainly in the group aged over 55, that is people before their retirement age and pensioners, statisticians say.

Last year, 541,600 single households of the elderly aged over 65 years were registered, while women lived in over 425,000 of them.

Women's single households clearly dominate in the group aged 65 years and more. Moreover, elderly women are generally the biggest group of "singles." Men live alone more often than women in the age group under 55, according to the CSU data.

However, the number of single households has been rising among younger people as well, above all in the group aged 25-34 years in which it increases five times in the past 15 year, the statisticians said.

In 1995, 30,100 single households of people aged 25-34 lived in the Czech Republic, while last year their number rose to 150,900.

There were 58,400 households of people aged 40-49 in 1995, while last year their number reached 108,200.

In 2010, 137,900 single households of people aged 30-39 lived in the country, compared to 34,500 15 years ago.

The trend of a rising number of singles is apparent in other European countries as well. In the neighbouring Slovakia single households made up 7 percent last year.

The statistical data for the Czech Republic were obtained from a CSU survey of labour forces. Other data will be available from this year's population census. The CSU is to release its results at the end this year.