Men vs Women Living Alone: Statistics by Sex, Age & Country (2026)
More older women live alone than older men in every country with comparable data. In the UK, 40.9% of women aged 65+ live alone versus 27.0% of men (ONS, 2024), driven mainly by longer female life expectancy and widowhood.
Last updated: June 2026
Overview: are more men or women living alone?
Among older adults, more women live alone than men in every country with comparable data. In the UK, 40.9% of women aged 65+ living in households lived alone in 2024 versus 27.0% of men (ONS, 2024). In the US, about 43% of women aged 75+ live alone, compared with roughly 27% of women aged 65 to 74 (US Census Bureau, 2022). Women predominate largely because they live longer and are more often widowed, so the wife is statistically more likely to outlive her spouse and then live alone for years. The female skew is therefore demographic rather than behavioural, and it widens with each older age band. Australia and Canada show the same direction, confirming a consistent pattern across all four countries.
Key statistics
These verified figures come from four national statistical agencies: the US Census Bureau, the UK Office for National Statistics, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and Statistics Canada. The headline finding is consistent: older women are substantially more likely to live alone than older men, and solo living rises sharply with age.
Living alone by sex and country (older adults)
This flagship table shows the verified sex split for living alone (or, for Canada, for loneliness) among older adults in each country. The four columns measure closely related but not identical things, so they should be read as four independent confirmations of the same female-skewed pattern rather than one single metric. Every value is a verified primary-source figure.
Older adults living alone, by sex and country
| Country | Measure | Women | Men | Women-men gap | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Adults 65+ living alone | 40.9% | 27.0% | +13.9 pts | 2024 | ONS Families & Households |
| Australia | Older adults living alone (SDAC) | 35.1% | 19.0% | +16.1 pts | 2022 | ABS SDAC |
| Australia | Older adults living alone (Census) | 31% | 18% | +13 pts | 2016 | ABS Census |
| Canada | Seniors reporting loneliness | 23% | 15% | +8 pts | 2020 | Statistics Canada |
UK and Australia rows show the share living alone among older adults. Canada's verified sex split is for loneliness among seniors, not living alone, because StatCan's living-alone Census tables are not published as a clean sex cut in our verified set. The female-skewed direction holds across every measure.
The female skew is demographic, not behavioural
Women outnumber men among people living alone because they live longer and are more often widowed, so the older the age band, the more female and the more solo it becomes. Canada's data shows the mechanism cleanly: the share living alone roughly doubles from 20.7% at ages 65 to 69 to 41.8% at 85 and over (StatCan, 2021), and the oldest bands are heavily female. The UK confirms the sex cut directly, with 40.9% of women aged 65+ living alone versus 27.0% of men (ONS, 2024). Widowhood is one of the main pathways into living alone in later life, which is the principal reason the female-skewed pattern appears in every country measured.
Solo living rises steeply with age
Living alone is not evenly distributed across older adults; it climbs steadily and peaks in the oldest age bands. Canada's 2021 Census illustrates this clearly across three age groups. Because the oldest bands are disproportionately female, the oldest-and-alone population is also the most heavily female. This is why headline solo-living shares and headline female-skew both intensify together as age increases.
Canadians living alone, by age band (2021)
| Age band | % living alone | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 to 69 | 20.7% | 2021 | StatCan Census 2021 |
| 75 to 79 | 26.7% | 2021 | StatCan Census 2021 |
| 85 and over | 41.8% | 2021 | StatCan Census 2021 |
The share living alone roughly doubles from age 65-69 to 85+. Across all adults, 4.4 million Canadians lived alone in 2021 (15% of adults), the highest share on record (StatCan).
Who lives alone and who is at risk are different questions
The verified data answers the first question decisively: older women are the larger living-alone population, and they also report more loneliness than older men, with 23% of senior women versus 15% of senior men reporting loneliness in Canada (StatCan, 2020). The second question, who is at risk if something goes wrong, depends on social connection rather than household size alone. Living alone and feeling lonely are related but distinct, and many people live alone with rich social lives. What living alone does remove is the built-in, in-home person who would immediately notice a fall or sudden illness. That discovery gap, not gender, is the modifiable variable that matters for safety.
Country comparison: US, UK, Australia and Canada
The four countries tell one consistent story: older women are substantially more likely to live alone, or to feel lonely, than older men. The size of the gap varies, with Australia showing the widest living-alone gap at +16.1 points (35.1% of older women versus 19.0% of older men, ABS SDAC 2022) and the UK at +13.9 points (40.9% versus 27.0%, ONS 2024), but the direction never reverses. The main caveat is comparability: the UK and Australia figures are living-alone shares, the US figure is women's living-alone share by age, and Canada's verified sex split is for loneliness. Readers should treat these as four independent confirmations of the same pattern rather than one identical metric.
Best verified sex cut, by country
| Country | Measure | Women | Men | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Adults 65+ living alone (ONS 2024) | 40.9% | 27.0% | Cleanest direct living-alone sex split; +13.9 pt skew |
| US | Women living alone by age (Census 2022) | 27% (65-74) to 43% (75+) | - | Female skew widens sharply with age |
| Australia | Older adults living alone (SDAC 2022) | 35.1% | 19.0% | Largest female skew of the four (+16.1 pts) |
| Canada | Senior loneliness by sex (StatCan 2020) | 23% | 15% | Sex split available for loneliness, not living-alone, in verified set |
The US row shows women's living-alone share by age band because a verified male sex cut by age is not in the verified set. The direction is female-skewed across every country and measure.
The trend is upward
The living-alone population is growing as populations age. Canada recorded its highest-ever share of adults living alone, 15% or 4.4 million people, in 2021 (StatCan), and more than a quarter of all US households, roughly 29%, are now one-person households (US Census Bureau, 2022/23). Because the living-alone cohort is skewed older and female, this growth disproportionately adds older women living alone, alongside a smaller but rising group of men whose regular social contacts have thinned over time.
Why a daily check-in helps
Living alone is a normal, independent way of life worth protecting, and for most people it is not a problem to be fixed. The one thing it removes is the person who would immediately notice if something went wrong, and that single gap can be closed without giving up any independence. A simple daily check-in, where one tap confirms you are OK and a missed check-in quietly notifies a chosen contact, gives both older women living alone far from family and men with thinner contact networks the same quiet reassurance and peace of mind.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics — Families and Households in the UK: 2024 (2024)
- US Census Bureau — The Living Arrangements of Older Americans (2022)
- US Census Bureau — More Than a Quarter of All Households Have One Person (2023)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings (SDAC 2022; Census 2016)
- Statistics Canada — A Look at Loneliness Among Seniors (2020)
- Statistics Canada — Census 2021: Living Arrangements of Seniors (2021)
- Statistics Canada — The Daily: More People Living Solo, 2021 Census (2022)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do more men or women live alone in the US?
Among older adults, more women live alone. About 43% of US women aged 75+ live alone and roughly 27% of women aged 65 to 74 (US Census Bureau, 2022), driven by longer female life expectancy and widowhood.
Are more older women or older men living alone in the UK?
Older women, clearly. In 2024, 40.9% of women aged 65+ living in households lived alone, versus 27.0% of men (ONS Families and Households, 2024), a gap of nearly 14 percentage points.
Why do more women than men live alone in old age?
Two demographic forces are at work: women live longer than men on average, and they are more often widowed. Because couples typically include an older husband, the wife is statistically more likely to outlive her spouse and then live alone for years, which is why the female skew widens with each older age band.
What percentage of older women live alone?
It depends on country and age. In the US, about 43% of women aged 75+ (US Census, 2022); in the UK, 40.9% of women aged 65+ (ONS, 2024); in Australia, 35.1% of older women (ABS SDAC, 2022). The share is consistently highest among the oldest women.
At what age does living alone peak?
Solo living rises steadily and peaks in the oldest age bands. In Canada it climbs from 20.7% at ages 65 to 69 to 41.8% at 85 and over (StatCan, 2021). Because the oldest bands are heavily female, the oldest-and-alone population is disproportionately women.
How many older Australians live alone, by sex?
Among older Australians, 35.1% of women and 19.0% of men lived alone (ABS SDAC, 2022); the 2016 Census recorded 31% of older women versus 18% of men. Australia shows the widest female-versus-male living-alone gap of the four countries.
Is living alone riskier for a man or a woman?
They are different risk profiles rather than one being simply riskier. Women are the far larger living-alone population and report more loneliness, 23% versus 15% among Canadian seniors (StatCan, 2020). The shared, modifiable factor for both is the same: how long before anyone notices if something goes wrong.
How many US adults live alone in total?
About 28% of US adults aged 65+ live alone, roughly 13.8 million people, and about 29% of all US households are one-person households (US Census Bureau, 2022/23).
Do most seniors who live alone in Canada feel lonely?
Not most, but a significant minority, and the rate is higher for women. 23% of senior women and 15% of senior men reported loneliness (Statistics Canada, 2020). Living alone and feeling lonely are related but distinct; many people live alone contentedly.
Is the share of people living alone going up?
Yes. Canada recorded its highest-ever share of adults living alone, 15% or 4.4 million people, in 2021 (StatCan). One-person households are now about 29% of US households. As populations age, the living-alone cohort, which is skewed older and female, keeps growing.
Are widowed people more likely to live alone?
Yes. Widowhood is one of the main pathways into living alone in later life, and because women outlive men on average, widows make up a large share of older women living alone. This is the principal reason the female-skewed pattern appears in every country measured.
Which country has the biggest gap between women and men living alone?
Of the four with verified figures, Australia shows the widest living-alone gap: 35.1% of older women versus 19.0% of older men, a gap of +16.1 points (ABS SDAC, 2022), followed by the UK at +13.9 points (40.9% versus 27.0%, ONS 2024).
How many men aged 65+ live alone in the UK?
27.0% of men aged 65+ living in UK households lived alone in 2024 (ONS Families and Households, 2024), compared with 40.9% of women in the same age group.
Does living alone mean you are isolated?
No. Living alone is a household arrangement, while isolation and loneliness are about social connection, and many people live alone with rich social lives. That said, living alone removes the built-in, in-home person who would notice a fall or illness immediately, which is why a reliable external check-in matters regardless of how socially connected someone is.
What is the safest way for someone living alone to make sure they would be found quickly?
The single modifiable factor is someone reliably noticing if something is wrong. A daily check-in routine, such as a tap, a call, or a free check-in app that alerts a chosen contact if the check-in is missed, can turn a potential days-long discovery gap into same-day notice, with no hardware required.
Take Action
Related Topics
Get Started in 2 Minutes
Download I'm Alive today and give yourself and your loved ones peace of mind. It's completely free.
Free forever • No credit card required • iOS & Android