Russia noted the impact of living alone on the transformation of the economy

The growing number of Russians living alone is becoming a stable social and economic trend. The rejection of early marriage, the postponement of the birth of children and the change of life strategies are recorded in the study of the first vice-rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Vadim Radaev, published in Demoscope Weekly. According to him, the classic markers of growing up — stable work, separation from parents, starting a family and having children — are increasingly shifting to a later age, and some people completely abandon marriage, choosing the format of solo life. This was reported by RBC on February 3.

Statistics confirm the scale of the changes. If in 2006 single households accounted for about 15%, then by 2023 their share has increased by about 10 percentage points, said Elena Ivanova, a leading researcher at the Institute of National Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The All-Russian population census of 2021 recorded a figure of over 40%, although experts warned of possible distortions against the background of the pandemic.

"One can be skeptical about the share of single—person households obtained in the All—Russian Population Census - 41.8%, but few people would disagree that the share of single-parent households is growing," Tatiana Cherkashina, head of the Department of General Sociology at the Faculty of Economics of NSU, wrote in an article for the Sociological Journal.

The economic portrait of the "loners" is heterogeneous. According to the Higher School of Economics, in 2020, women over the age of 60 dominated among them, but in recent years the proportion of people born in the 1960s and 1980s has been growing. Ivanova notes that older singles have a higher risk of poverty and spending on housing and utilities, while young people form a different consumption structure: they spend less on food and children's goods, use services more actively and more often demonstrate an individualistic spending style.

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A study by economists from the Bank of Russia and the NES showed that single households are generally less likely to have savings than family households, primarily due to the behavior of middle-aged men and women over 40. At the same time, the World Economic Forum points out that in all regions of the world, small households spend more per person, especially in emerging markets.

Global trends largely coincide with Russian ones. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, in a number of developed countries — including Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands — the proportion of single households is approaching 40%. The American sociologist Philip Cohen noted that the growth of this category is observed in more than two thirds of the countries that make up the bulk of global GDP.

Experts emphasize that the changes are reflected in the structure of demand. Igor Golubchenko, an associate professor at the Presidential Academy, talks about a decrease in interest in large apartments, an increase in rent and the popularity of pets. Ilya Zharsky, Managing Partner of Veta, added that singles spend more actively on delivery, taxi, cleaning and entertainment, which shifts the economy towards service industries.

The trend has a particular impact on the housing market. Economist Oleg Buklemishev drew attention to the vulnerability of elderly singles with low pensions and the increasing burden on social services. Analyst Sergey Skatov notes that older owners rarely sell large apartments, which reduces the liquidity of the secondary market and pushes prices up, while young singles support the demand for rent and small-sized housing.

In addition, Oksana Sinyavskaya, deputy director of the HSE Institute of Social Policy, emphasizes that in Russia, single living among young people is still more often associated not with a final life choice, but with postponing marriage and having children. At an older age, the growth of singles is largely due to divorce and the earlier mortality of men.

Economists agree that the effects of the trend go far beyond consumer behavior. It affects the real estate market, financial products, social policy and the structure of cities. At the same time, as Buklemishev notes, the economic effects may be less significant than the social ones: the transformation of family models is changing the very fabric of society and requires adaptation by the state and business.

January 16 news portal Phys.org He reported on the negative effects of prolonged loneliness on health. The study found that men, people with a high level of education, and those who initially showed low levels of well-being are more likely to remain without a partner for a long time. The risk group also includes young people living alone or with their parents.

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