Proportion of one-person homes up amid shrinking household sizes: HDB survey

SINGAPORE: Households in Singapore are still predominantly made up of families but the number of single households is on the rise, more than doubling in proportion over the last two decades.

The share of one-person homes rose to 15.6 per cent in 2023/2024, up from 12.6 per cent in 2018 and 7.1 per cent in 2003, according to the Housing and Development Board's (HDB) sample household survey released on Thursday (Nov 27).

Family-based households meanwhile dropped to 83 per cent, from 86.6 per cent in 2018 and 91.3 per cent in 2003.

Overall, household sizes in Singapore have continued to shrink, with an average of 3 people per household, down from 3.1 in 2018 and 3.4 in 2013 and 2008.

These findings reflect societal shifts such as an ageing population and changing housing preferences, said HDB in the 12th edition of the survey since it started in 1968.

The poll is conducted once every five years to gather residents’ feedback and identify changing needs.

This time, about 7,000 households and more than 1,600 single occupiers in all HDB towns and estates were interviewed between October 2023 and April 2024.

This is the first time single occupiers – defined as singles between 21 and 54 years old who are listed as occupiers in HDB flats and do not own an HDB flat – have been included in the survey.

Among this group, the majority were aged below 35 and living in four-room or bigger non-rental flats, with only their parents or immediate family members.

To better understand the potential housing choices of singles, HDB said it zoomed in on those “with no clear intention or plans to get married”. This group made up about 80.3 per cent of the single occupiers surveyed; among them, 66.2 per cent intended to move out.

Of those with plans to move, 72.3 per cent intended to buy their own home - of which 46.5 per cent intended to purchase a new unit while 25.8 per cent would purchase a resale home.

The government has over the past year made tweaks to its housing policy for singles, such as expanding access to two-room flexi Build-to-Order (BTO) flats islandwide and giving singles priority when they apply to live with or near their parents.

More recently, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said the eligibility age for singles to buy BTO flats – set at 35 currently - was under review.

A GREYING HDB POPULATION

The latest survey showed a total of 3.18 million Singapore citizens and permanent residents living in HDB flats, up from 3.15 million in 2018.

They made up about 1.1 million households, said HDB, adding that home ownership remained high at more than 9 in 10.

The survey also found that the HDB resident population was greying, with 18.2 per cent being seniors aged 65 and above. This was up from 14 per cent in 2018 and nearly double of 10.4 per cent in 2013.

This brings the median age of HDB residents up to around 43 years old.

The proportion of senior households has also gone up to 31 per cent from 25.6 per cent in 2018.

Overall, seniors preferred to age in place, HDB said. About 86 per cent said they wanted to continue living in their existing flat, citing reasons such as comfort and emotional attachment.

Even if they required assistance with daily living, most seniors still preferred to remain in their own home, with family members, domestic helpers or professionals supporting their caregiving needs.

A small proportion (14.1 per cent) were willing to move, mainly to right-size to smaller flats for easier maintenance or to unlock the value of their flats for additional income, said HDB.

Three-room flats (28.8 per cent) remained the most popular flat type among seniors. About 21.5 per cent of senior households chose two-room flats, up from 11.8 per cent in 2018, while those who preferred four-room and bigger flat types dropped from 45.4 per cent to 36.9 per cent over the same period.

HDB said it will continue to provide a range of housing options for seniors, such as its Community Care Apartments that integrate senior-friendly housing with care needs. The sixth such project will be launched in Toa Payoh next year.

The government has also rolled out Age Well Neighbourhoods, starting with Toa Payoh, to enable seniors to age comfortably in familiar living environments with care and social support.

Among other findings, more families have chosen to live near each other.

About 64.5 per cent of younger married residents lived with or near their parents, up from 57.4 per cent in 2018.

In a press release, HDB noted that living in proximity facilitated more frequent family interactions and support, citing how about three in four of younger married residents who lived nearby visited their parents at least once a week. In comparison, less than half in the same group who lived elsewhere in Singapore did so.

“Living close also enabled them to rely more on their parents for physical and emotional support,” said HDB.

Overall, a higher proportion of residents were satisfied with the proximity of their homes to family members - about 86.1 per cent of younger married residents and 88 per cent of older residents surveyed.

“These findings affirm HDB’s policies in supporting extended families to live with or near one another,” the agency said.

In a video released after the launch of the survey, Mr Chee, the minister, said the trends reflected the “impact of policies” such as the Proximity Housing Grant, which help family members stay close to one another and remain connected.

“Moving forward, we will continue to study further policy refinements to better address the needs of Singaporeans, including married couples and singles.”

The HDB survey also showed high satisfaction with neighbourhood and estate facilities, with commercial facilities including supermarkets, coffee shops and HDB shops or neighbourhood centres being well-utilised.

Meanwhile, over 9 in 10 HDB residents were satisfied with neighbourly relations.

HDB said the survey findings have given it deeper insights into residents' living arrangements and the changing housing needs of families, seniors and singles.

“Going forward, we will continue to provide affordable, accessible and inclusive homes for Singaporeans," said HDB. "We will also press ahead with rejuvenating our towns and homes through programmes such as the Home Improvement Programme, to provide a quality living environment for residents of all ages.”