The number of people living alone in England has risen sharply over the past decade, fuelling a growing crisis of loneliness and social isolation, according to new analysis from HMO management platform COHO.
Almost a third (28.9%) of all English households are now single-person homes, with the total reaching 6.9 million in 2024, up 8.8% since 2015.
In the South East and South West, the increase has been even starker at 14.1%, while the North East has seen growth of 13.7%.
The North West, North East, South West and Yorkshire & Humber now all report more than 30% of households occupied by just one person. Over the past decade, the sharpest rises have been in the North West (+1.9%), South West (+1.7%) and South East (+1.5%).
LONELINESS EPIDEMIC
The trend is contributing to a worsening loneliness epidemic. Around 3.83 million people in the UK are considered chronically lonely, with 7.1% of the population saying they are “always or often” lonely – up from 6% in 2020.
Research shows young adults aged 16–29 are more than twice as likely to feel lonely as those over 70.
The personal toll is severe. Loneliness has been linked to a 26% higher risk of early mortality, as well as elevated stress, poor sleep, and weaker immune systems. Chronic loneliness is also associated with depression, anxiety, dementia and even psychosis.
The wider cost to the UK economy is estimated at more than £32bn per year through increased health and social care, lost productivity and reduced community resilience.
HOUSING CRISIS
Vann Vogstad, founder and chief executive of COHO, says the data highlights an urgent need to rethink housing choices.
And he adds: “The rise in people living alone is not just a housing issue, it’s a social one.
“Shared living can provide the daily opportunities for connection and community that so many people are missing.
“Done well, it creates long-term friendships that sustain us through life.”
Vogstad argues that tackling stigma around shared living models could help address both the housing crisis and the UK’s growing epidemic of loneliness.
