In Japan, the average household had four members in the 1980s. As of 2020, 38% are single-member households. But the pace of households shrinking to just one person is rising fast. It’s likely to exceed 40% of all households very soon. Michiyo Ishida checks out a new solo dining trend amid the shifting social structure.

In South Korea, the rise of single-person households is also bringing sweeping changes to many sectors, including the funeral industry. Lim Yun Suk finds out why more young Koreans are choosing to stay single, with some even wanting to plan ahead for their funerals.

In the United States, Sally Patterson examines the price that solo living carries. Research shows singles in the nation fork out thousands of extra dollars on rent in what’s being called a ‘single’s tax’, as more Americans are unpartnered - meaning neither married nor living with a partner - than ever before.

0:17 Japan’s growing singles population
7:54 Funeral traditions shift as South Korea greys
15:15 Solo living carries a price in New York

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About CNA Correspondent: Highlights of news stories and features by CNA's network of Correspondents based in major cities across the region.
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