BERLIN, July 16 (Xinhua) — Around 17 million people, more than one in five residents, now live alone in Germany, with 29 percent of them facing a risk of poverty, according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Statistical Office.

The figures, based on preliminary results from the 2024 microcensus, highlight a sharp increase in solo living over the past two decades. In 2004, 14 million people, or 17.1 percent of the population, lived alone.

Older adults account for a significant portion of this group. Among Germans aged 65 and over, more than one in three live alone, while the proportion jumps to 56 percent among those aged 85 and older.

However, solo living is also increasingly prevalent among young adults: 28 percent of individuals aged 25 to 34 reside in single-person households, the data show.

People living alone are particularly vulnerable to economic hardship. The office reported that 29 percent of solo dwellers are at risk of poverty, nearly twice the rate for the general population.

Germany’s rate of solo living surpasses the European Union average of 16.2 percent.

As of the end of 2024, Germany’s population stood at approximately 83.6 million.